Wonderful interesting
The site's description is right: cheddary, herbal, complex... Delicious straight up, but it also melted well on a sandwich. My new favorite.
This striking English cheese is Sparkenhoe Red Leicester. Red Leicester in its traditional raw milk and cloth-bound form had been extinct for 50 years until David and Jo Clarke decided to revive the cheese in 2005. Though neither David nor Jo had any experience of cheesemaking, they had inherited a herd of Holstein-Friesians, whose pedigree and quality had been carefully overseen by the Clarke family for three generations. Drawing on a combination of old books and local advice, the pair recovered the traditional recipe and set to converting the milk of their 150 cows into Red Leicester. David and Jo use raw milk, animal rennet, and annatto seed (what gives the cheese its orange color), to make their Sparkenhoe Red Leicester.
The cheese is clothbound with lard, as is traditional. This cheese not only looks striking on a cheese plate, but it is a crowd-pleaser, too. It's a bit cheddary with a soft earthiness and nuttiness. It's complex and yet relatively mild. Pair this beautifully balanced cheese with slices of apple.
- Type of Milk
- Cow
- Country of Origin
- England
- Region
- Leicestershire
Neil's Yard Dairy
How much cheese should I buy?
We advise buying small quantities more frequently to avoid long term storage because the complex flavors and aromas of good cheese will change and degrade over time. For appetizer quantities and not much left over, we suggest 1/4 lb per person. For larger servings or if you'd like some left overs, we suggest a full 1/2 lb per person.
How should I serve my cheese?
You can serve any number of cheeses: a single magnificent chèvre or a large selection celebrating the diversity of aromas, flavors and textures found in various traditions around the world. Choose what you like and what you expect your audience will enjoy. We usually go for a selection of three to four cheeses with various milk types, textures and flavors.
Take your cheese out of the refrigerator an hour or so before serving. Just before serving, unwrap each cheese and scrape the cut surface with a knife edge to remove a thin layer. If you notice dried out parts or mold on the face of the cheese, cut it away.
Can I eat the rind?
Most cheeses have rinds and most rinds are edible. If you don’t like the taste or texture, cut it off.
What do I do about the mold on my cheese?
Cheese stored for some time may grow exterior molds. Typical molds will be white or blue-green but you can sometimes come across yellow or gray. Most of the time, you can refresh the cheese by cutting away those affected areas. The cheese underneath will be fine.
How do I store my cheese?
Store in a higher humidity area of your refrigerator - likely an enclosed spot which allows for limited airflow rather than constant drafts.
How do I wrap my cheese?
Use a clean wrap of the cheese paper, or, in a pinch use parchment (for softer cheeses) or aluminum foil (for firm to hard cheeses).
Enjoy!
Description
This striking English cheese is Sparkenhoe Red Leicester. Red Leicester in its traditional raw milk and cloth-bound form had been extinct for 50 years until David and Jo Clarke decided to revive the cheese in 2005. Though neither David nor Jo had any experience of cheesemaking, they had inherited a herd of Holstein-Friesians, whose pedigree and quality had been carefully overseen by the Clarke family for three generations. Drawing on a combination of old books and local advice, the pair recovered the traditional recipe and set to converting the milk of their 150 cows into Red Leicester. David and Jo use raw milk, animal rennet, and annatto seed (what gives the cheese its orange color), to make their Sparkenhoe Red Leicester.
The cheese is clothbound with lard, as is traditional. This cheese not only looks striking on a cheese plate, but it is a crowd-pleaser, too. It's a bit cheddary with a soft earthiness and nuttiness. It's complex and yet relatively mild. Pair this beautifully balanced cheese with slices of apple.
More Information
- Type of Milk
- Cow
- Country of Origin
- England
- Region
- Leicestershire
Neil's Yard Dairy
Caring for Your Cheese
How much cheese should I buy?
We advise buying small quantities more frequently to avoid long term storage because the complex flavors and aromas of good cheese will change and degrade over time. For appetizer quantities and not much left over, we suggest 1/4 lb per person. For larger servings or if you'd like some left overs, we suggest a full 1/2 lb per person.
How should I serve my cheese?
You can serve any number of cheeses: a single magnificent chèvre or a large selection celebrating the diversity of aromas, flavors and textures found in various traditions around the world. Choose what you like and what you expect your audience will enjoy. We usually go for a selection of three to four cheeses with various milk types, textures and flavors.
Take your cheese out of the refrigerator an hour or so before serving. Just before serving, unwrap each cheese and scrape the cut surface with a knife edge to remove a thin layer. If you notice dried out parts or mold on the face of the cheese, cut it away.
Can I eat the rind?
Most cheeses have rinds and most rinds are edible. If you don’t like the taste or texture, cut it off.
What do I do about the mold on my cheese?
Cheese stored for some time may grow exterior molds. Typical molds will be white or blue-green but you can sometimes come across yellow or gray. Most of the time, you can refresh the cheese by cutting away those affected areas. The cheese underneath will be fine.
How do I store my cheese?
Store in a higher humidity area of your refrigerator - likely an enclosed spot which allows for limited airflow rather than constant drafts.
How do I wrap my cheese?
Use a clean wrap of the cheese paper, or, in a pinch use parchment (for softer cheeses) or aluminum foil (for firm to hard cheeses).
Enjoy!
-
Wonderful interesting
The site's description is right: cheddary, herbal, complex... Delicious straight up, but it also melted well on a sandwich. My new favorite.
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