“St. Kilian’s selections of European Classics”
Gruyere 1655 – Canton Fribourg, Switzerland
Unpasteurized cow’s milk from red & black Holstein, aged 14 months
About: “Gruyere is like the Swiss army knife of cheeses, not necessarily because it comes from Switzerland,
but because of its amazing versatility. Perfect for anything that requires melting and a welcome addition to
every cheese plate, gruyere cheese is a staple in fine restaurants and home kitchens across Europe. With a
strict PDO, you can count on consistent quality when buying Gruyere, but we still find the the 1655 Gruyere,
which we happened upon a few years ago, has more to offer than the ubiquitous Gruyere available from most
purveyors that is made by Emmi, the largest cheese company in Switzerland.

Manchego Curado – Daimiel, Castilla La Mancha, Spain,
Raw sheep’s milk, aged 1 year
About: Manchego is synonymous with Spanish cuisine, and as is the case with many Spanish traditions,
versions of it can be found around the world, but real Manchego comes only from La Mancha, Spain and is
made exclusively with milk from the Manchega breed of sheep. Manchego has one of the broadest PDO
statuses is the EU, so there are many forms of Manchego on the market, it’s one of the only PDO’s that does not
designate whether the milk for production is pasteurized or not. As a result most of the Manchego in the US
comes from Pasteurized milk and lacks the complexity in flavor of the more traditional, smaller production
varietals. Our Manchego of choice is raw milk and aged for a minimum of 1 year, creating complex savory
flavors and a smattering of tyrosine crystals throughout.
For a classic pairing serve with a dash of sweet, such as membrillo or dried figs, Jamon Serrano and a rustic
spanish wine, such as Ribero del Duero.

Parmigiano Reggiano – Parma/Reggio Emilia, Piedmont, Italy
Raw whole and skimmed cow’s milk
About: Referred to by many (at least Italian’s) as the King of cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano is probably the
best known PDO in all of Europe. In fact the PDO for Reggiano has caused a bit of a trade war over the years,
as US companies refuse to honor the protected status and label many simulations of the cheese “Parmesan”,
this practice is illegal within EU countries. With all of the strict regulations you can count on anything labeled
as Parmigiano Reggiano to be of exceptional quality, but there are still a lot of differences in individual cheeses
from Parma Reggia. We’ve tried a lot of different Parm’s and have settled on the 2 year aged variety, as we
think it offers the best balance of developed flavor and consistency. The other factor to consider when buying

Parmigiano is to always look for someone who will cut your cheese fresh, since it is produced in 80 pound
wheels, Parmigiano is often pre-cut and packaged in cryovac. Since we move through about 50 pounds of
Parmigiano a month, you can always count on fresh 2 year old cheese 🙂
My favorite way to enjoy Parmigiano is to grate a healthy amount over warm noodles with butter, but this
wonderful cheese is often under appreciated as a snacking cheese, it’s great on its own or drizzled with a little
aged balsamic vinegar.

St. Agur Bleu – Beauzac Monts du Velay, Auvergne, France
Pasteurized cow’s milk, aged 60 days
About: We may have stretched the rules a little to fit St. Agur Bleu into “classics,” unlike the other cheeses on
our list this month, St. Agur has only been around for a few decades, but we love to share this wonderful double
cream blue with our customers. St. Agur has converted many a “I don’t like Blue Cheese” folks into believers
over the years. St. Agur also has classic roots, as it is a double cream version of the PDO Bleu d’Auvergne.
Enjoy St. Agur spread on walnut bread or Date and Almond crackers, with a sweet dessert wine or drizzled with
honey.
~~~~~~
For those of you with the added Charcuterie of the Month:
Bavarian Meats, German Style Salami