This one is a staple. It’s not as good as the good Parmigiano, but it’s certainly up there with the average ones. Quite crumbly, a little salty.
Rating - 6
Ummm, like cheddar!
Rating - 1.5
$18.99/kg. Not bad considering a Parmigiano will be twice the price!
Rating - 1.5
pasteurised milk, enzymes, cultures, salt, rennet
Harris Farm Market
Website
This is one sharp cheese. It’s not overly powerful or smelly, but the taste is very distinctive. I probably would not use this cheese in cooking, as the flavour is too obvious, but it makes a good eating cheese.
Rating - 6.5
Very boring, but with some rustic rough edges.
Rating - 1.5
$18.99/kg. It’s a little expensive for what it is.
Rating - 0.5
pasteurised milk, salt, starter culture, non animal renet, calcium chloride, lipase
Harris Farm Market
Website
Maffra Cheese is a specialty cheesemaker located in Victoria. We picked up these 2 award winning cheeses from their range:
Well, it certainly tastes better than other cheddar, with a great balance of sweetness and acidity.
Hmmmm, dunno about the white, but I could eat this by the block. The walnut in this really enhances the flavour. It is a bit more subtle than some of the other Leicester around.
Rating - 7.5
We bought wedges from their rounds, but their cheese looks like the natural colour it’s supposed to be.
Rating - 2
$22.95/kg for the cheddar, similar for the Leicester.
Rating - 1
Mature Cheddar
milk, cultures, salt, rennet
Farmer Markets, specialty stores
Jindi brie is one of my all time favourite cheese. It’s quite surprising because I am certainly not a fan of their camembert, but their brie on the other hand, is a beautiful combination of creaminess and saltiness. The awards it has won include World Champion 2004, 2002, 1996.
Rating - 8.5
In the gold colour foil wrap, with all the medals it has won printed on it. The creamy colour cheese absolutely oozes out of its white mould.
Rating - 2.5
210g for $6.99, worth it.
Rating - 1
pasteurised cows milk, salt, starter cultures, non-animal rennet
We picked up two cheeses from this diary, although we had the opportunity to taste test their whole collection. These were our 2 favourites, with the marinated feta coming a close third:
Rating - 8
Absolutely fabulous. I love their packaging. Both are easy to carry and use, but they won’t last for very long.
Rating - 2
The Duetto 135g for $12.50. We got the 1.6kg Labna for around $23 I think…
Rating - 1.5
Duetto
cream, gorgonzola, salt, acid
Labna
yoghurt,olive oil blend, herbs, salt
Corner Hermitage Rd and Mistletoe Lane
Pokolbin
NSW 2320
Phone (02) 4998 6660
Website
Very much like the smelly washed rinds from France, except less expensive :). This one is a bit less complex in flavour, the texture is very smooth and the flavour very deep. It's an in your face cheese, not to mention, in your smell!
This has won a ASCA Gold Medal for 2005.
Rating - 7.5
All gooey and golden yellow on the inside with a mouldy orange inside. It's called washed rind because the rind has to be wiped continuously throughout the maturing process.
Rating - 3
$52.40/kg from the factory shop.
Rating - 1
100% cow's milk, vegetable rennet, salt & cultures
McDonalds Road
Pokolbin
NSW 2131
Phone (02) 4998 7744
Website
I've tried a few products from Tasmania Heritage before, but the Camembert is not one of their best products. It doesn't taste quite ripe enough, even though the expiry date was very soon. It is only slightly better than the plastic tasting cheese on offer at the supermarket, with none of the creaminess and nuttiness I was expecting. Very disappointed, considering some of their cheese are first rate.
Rating - 4.5
We got this from the factory, so it came with minimal packaging. The cheese itself is covered in the white mold, with the inside a creamy yellow.
Rating - 1.5
120g round for $1 at the Lactos factory. A bargain considering it costs about $6 from the shops.
Rating - 2
milk, cultures, salt, rennet
Supermarkets everywhere
There are several varieties available from the La Casa Del Formaggio:
Rating - 5
A tub of this is handy to throw in cooking, salad, or just for a snack. It comes in a clear resealable container you can just keep in the fridge.
Rating - 1.5
350g and 220g for 99 cents! But the R.R.P is $3.59.
Rating - 1
Fresh marinated
bocconcici 60% (milk, salt, non animal rennet, starter culture), canola oil, olive oil, sundried tomatoes, herbs, spices
Harris Farm Markets
Website
This signature cheese from Ashgrove Farm is very labour intensive, requiring constant rubbing and turning, and has won a string of awards, including a gold medal and named Champion Cheddar of the 2002 Royal Hobart Show.
For all of that, I found it quite easy to melt, but it is a bit salty to be used as just an eating cheese. It tastes nice in a melt but I wouldn't eat it as is. The texture is quite hard and not crumbly, it doesn't quite melt in the mouth. There is a hint, but only very slight, of nuttiness to it. The cloth does give it a different flavour which I quite like.
Rating - 6.5
Beautiful in its cloth bound ashy outer layer, I'm afraid it's a case of looks over function. All Ashgrove farm cheese are usually sold vacuum sealed instead of cut from the wheels.
Rating - 2
$26/kg from the factory, it's their most expensive product, one I think is not really worth the money.
Rating - 0
Supermarkets everywhere
This is saltier than other blues, but it's not really that strong. It has a pretty creamy texture though. I think this will be more suitable in a blue cheese sauce rather than to eat straight.
Rating - 6
Like mouldy cheese! Cut into wedges and wrapped.
Rating - 1.5
$24.99/kg. It's probably a bit on the expensive side for a cooking cheese, there are much better blues out there.
Rating - 0.5
pasteurised milk, starter cultures, salt, non animal rennet
Harris Farm Markets
Website
This is the top label Brie from King Island Dairy, and yes I can taste the difference! This is actually a lot creamier and doesn't have that waxy taste of the double brie. It actually reminds me of the Triple Cream Cheese.
It has won the following awards:Grand Champion 2006 Australian Grand Dairy Awards & 2006 Australian Specialist Cheesemakers' Association Show, Champion Cheese award 2005 Australian Specialist Cheesemakers' Association Show.
Rating - 8
The cheese looks like the Triple Cream, but the packaging, in black foil with gold lettering, indicates it's in a special class.
Rating - 2.5
At $36.99/kg it's $ more expensive than the Double Brie, and $4 more expensive than the Triple Cream. I would stick to the Triple Cream.
Rating - 1
pasteurised milk, salt, enzyme (rennet), cultures
Harris Farm Markets
Website
I can say it's my favourite cheese from King Island Dairy, and one of my favourite of all cheeses. I love creamy cheese with a bit of bite that is not too overpowering. This one is virtually oozing in its creaminess. It's perfectly balanced in saltiness too.
Rating - 8.5
A soft white mold surrounds a very creamy yellow melting centre. It looks very inviting.
Rating - 2
$32.99/kg, I would buy this anytime.
Rating - 1.5
pasteurised milk, salt, enzyme, cultures
Harris Farm Markets
Website
This is not that strong, not that salty, not that sweet, quite middle of the road really. One thing I command them for is the great balance in flavour they have achieved.
Rating - 7.5
This is covered in a pleasent looking red wax. The cheese itself is very light in colour.
Rating - 2
$29.99/kg is quite expensive for the type of cheese it is.
Rating - 0
pasteurised milk, salt, enzyme (rennet), cultures
Harris Farm Markets
Website
This cheese won the Australian Grand Diary Award - 2004 champion, and I have to say, is very very good. It's similar to a triple cream cheese and is very gooey and certainly creamy, with the right balance of saltiness.
Rating - 8
Like other Jindi products, the packaging is not exactly that appealing but the cheese itself screams "eat me".
Rating - 1.5
170g for$6.99. Comparable to other top rate Australian cheese. Worth it.
Rating - 1
pasturized milk, starter cultures, salt & non animal rennet
Supermarkets everywhere
It has a milder taste than Parmesan, but is still best suited to cooking, or eating with a beautiful caramelised balsamic vinegar!
Rating - 7
Quite creamy and crumbly, almost rustic really!
Rating - 1.5
$16.99/kg, good value!
Rating - 1.5
Italian milk, salt, rennet, egg white, lysozume
Harris Farm Markets
Website
I love this cheese! It's quite strong in taste but mild at the same time. Ok, I need to explain myself better. It actually smells like off-cheese, but it's not, and tastes so smooth and bitey. I really can't think of good words to describe cheese - maybe I should describe it like wine? A faint aroma of honey and coffee beans??
Rating - 8
A milky, almost white cheese coated in dark blue wax. It holds its shape when cut.
Rating - 1.5
$22.99/kg, more expensive than some, but cheaper than the average brie or Camembert.
Rating - 1
milk, salt, starter culture, rennet, raliumnitrat, cheese wax
Harris Farm Markets
Website
A sweet cheese that tears off in strips, I quite enjoy this one. It's a bit different, but as bitey, but quite smooth and mellow, not quite creamy, more string-like, if that's a good way to describe cheese...
Rating - 6.5
A milky, off white colour, they come in big balls with wax coating. They peel into these interesting looking strips!
Rating - 1.5
$18.99/kg, a bit exy, but they are from Italy afterall.
Rating - 1
heat treated milk, salt, rennet
Harris Farm Markets
Website
There are several baked ricotta in the range by the Margaret River Diary Company. I tried the Chilli. The ricotta, as expected was quite plain. I'm not sure what the baking actually did because I couldn't taste any difference, except that the ricotta was harder than normal. I like the chilli, adding the kick the ricotta really needs.
The Chives and Onions is much more subtle in flavour. I couldn't really taste very much distinguishing factors at all. I would use this more as a plain ricotta, maybe to add to a salad.
Rating - 6.5
The red chilli flakes and the brown "baked" edges makes it very interesting. The not uniformed look makes this seem very homely. The packaging is not crash hot but then again, being wrapped in plastic is not that great.
Rating - 1.5
250g for $4.99 is ok, but I think I would rather buy plain ricotta. I could eat ricotta with anything...
Rating - 1
cheese whey, milk, salt, acetic acid, chilli flakes (.45%), parsley flakes (.05%)
Supermarkets everywhere
A rather unremarkable cheese if I do say so myself. The smoky flavour was not that strong, but you can taste a subtle hint of it. The cheese is also slightly sweeter than I thought it would be. The thing I didn't really like was the waxy and slimy texture - but that might be due to its packaging?
Rating - 5.5
Quite pretty with a smoky brownish tint. The wax covering was a light grey, a change from the reds and blacks you always see. Like I mentioned, Harris Farm shrinks wrap this which might have contributed to its texture.
Rating - 1
$26.99/kg is quite expensive in my opinion. Tilba is not really marketed as a boutique brand so I expected it to be cheaper.
Rating - 0.5
cheese(pasteurised milk, salt, cultures, enzumes, rennet), natural smoke flavour (min .2%), sweet paprika, mineral salts, preservatives.
Harris Farm Market
Website
Before I even comment on this, regular readers should already know I am biased, being a lover of blue cheese, and being a fan of King Island Dairy. I've tried their Bass Strait Blue and their Lighthouse Blue Brie, and this one is, in my opinion, slightly better than the others. The blue-vein taste is stronger, the cheese itself is sweeter, the texture is more crumbly, but on the palate, it melts in your mouth. I paired mine with dried apricot - heaven.
But hey, if you don't believe me, you can check out the range of awards they've won.
Rating - 8
A layer of deep blue wax covers a creamy cheese with lots of blue-vein throughout. The cheese came plastic wrapped, not the best, but there is never enough to last more than a few days :)
Rating - 2
120 g for $4.99, a great price for a great cheese.
Rating - 1.5
pasteurised milk, salt, mineral salt, enzyme, cultures
Supermarkets everywhere
