PASTEURIZED – ANIMAL RENNET – ANIMAL RENNET – AGE: 2 WEEKS – COW MILK – GOAT MILK/SHEEP MILK – ITALY
Three milks, one unbelievable eating experience. Made by the soft cheese aficionados at Alta Langa in Northern Italy, Castelbelbo has an ultra-thin rind, creamy interior, and an aroma like rising bread dough. The milks—cow, goat, and sheep—create an irresistible balance of flavors, bouncing between grassy freshness and milky richness, with a bright finish. The thin rind makes it a great swap for brie in cooking applications, but it’s also delightful with crackers and Akron Bourbon Barrel Honey.
Castelbelbo is a bloomy rind cheese, named for the white mold that “blooms” on the rind, which is responsible for breaking down the interior paste and creating its silky texture.
It’s made in the northwest of Italy, where bloomy rind cheeses are prevalent thanks to the influence of nearby France and the work of cheesemakers like Alta Langa.
Handmade with unique cultures proprietary to Alta Langa, Castelbelbo uses plenty of yeast to form the geo rind.
Geo rinds (typically brainy and wrinkled) are formed by the yeast Geotrichum candidum. A slightly different mix from the usual geo rind yeast is responsible for Castelbelbo’s ultra-thin rind.
Castelbelbo is rich but not too rich thanks to the blend of milks—there’s high-fat sheep’s milk, but that’s balanced by the goat’s milk, which has a slight tang and feels lighter on the palate.
If you like the flavor of brie in cooking applications like savory tarts, pasta fillings, or pastries, but don’t like the thick rind that’s left behind when it melts, Castelbelbo is a great swap, since it has a similar creamy texture with a much thinner rind.
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