Many passionate kosher foodies know that kosher cheese is no longer limited to blocks of cheddar and shredded mozzarella. More and more, kosher cheese makers are trying their hands at artisanal, specialty cheeses. There are Israeli cheese makers who travel to France to learn the tricks of the trade, and Wisconsin cheese makers who add spicy flavors to their authentic Midwestern cheeses (that just happen to be kosher). Raw milk is also increasingly common in kosher cheese, as are strong, sharp flavors.
“In the past 10 years, kosher cheese has really taken off,” said Elizabeth Bland, the Alabama-born cheesemonger at Brooklyn’s Pomegranate kosher supermarket. The self-described “cheese mistress” has organized kosher wine and cheese pairing parties for the past three years (“I don’t eat much meat because it messes with my cheese schedule,” she said with a laugh).
“[Kosher cheese is] where kosher wine was about 15 years ago,” Bland said. She expects it to get even more specialized in the next 10 to 15 years, as customers demand more unique options. The problem she finds with kosher cheeses are not a matter of quality, but quantity. “There isn’t as much of a demand for the more unique cheeses yet. People who are super kosher eaters are more focused on meat,” she said.
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