Move over steak, there’s a new girl in town and she wants some space on the grill. Guernsey Girl, the newest cheese from Upper Canada Cheese Co. (which also produces Niagara Gold and Comfort Cream) will be your go-to summer treat. You won’t even need a cheeseboard – or a plate – you can just transfer the crisped slices straight from the barbecue into the eager hands of your guests.
As the name suggests, Guernsey Girl, which is meant to be heated, is made with the rich, golden milk of the Guernsey cow. Uncooked it is dense with a pliable texture and has the soft, creamy hue of a peeled banana. Once pan-fried or grilled, the exterior of the slice will become caramel brown, crispy and slightly sweet, an irresistible contrast to the melted, salty interior. The mild tangy undertone pleasantly cuts through the buttery main show. The contrast in textures is especially mouthwatering when you slice the cheese fairly thin so that the “crisp to soft” ratio is high, leaving the slender centre warm, chewy and supple. Biting into it is like biting into a perfectly crisped grilled cheese sandwich.
The inspiration for the cheese was broadly based on the Cypriot cheese halloumi, and more specifically on Scandinavian bread cheese. Bread cheese is a fresh cheese (not aged) known as Juustoleipa or Leipajuusto that is grilled before being packaged. The exterior “crust” gives it a bread-like appearance.
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