Let’s talk about cheese. Portuguese Açorian cheese that is. Today I gratefully snack on a sharp white and creamy cheese crafted by our island neighbors in Graciosa which has been given to me by my own next-door neighbor here in Angra do Heroismo. It has slithered in slices across a soft white roll that normally I would resist—but you know how difficult this kind of gift can be! I would say that this cheese is my favorite but I haven’t told you about the other three rivals. Recently I’ve been enjoying Ilha do Terceira by Milhafre spread gently across a thin brown integral mini-tostada cracker which is a lovely accompaniment to a medium bodied gentle tinto. Or of course, there is the grand St. George. The first time I ate St. George cheese I declared this was my favorite. It had been introduced formally by another neighbor who greeted me with a fresh baked and very special “Terciera Welcome Cake” which she served alongside generous cuts of St. George cheese.
Lastly, there is the local fresh “little cow” cheese. It is also white and can be sold in a variety of small sizes. It is lovely served on a toasted bread called padagarinha and topped with honey or normal toast and lightly frosted with spicy malageta.
As I’ve gotten to know these Açorian cheeses I am flooded with memories of eating cheese in other lands…in Turkey, every large grocery store was stocked full with at least two aisles of different white cheeses. In a year’s time, I wasn’t able to identify what was what or what I preferred most. In Morocco, I appreciated the great imported cheese such as, the French Brie and Cambambert, the hard Spanish Zamorano that I could buy at the small local gourmet shop in Dar Bouazza beach, and the imported soft Italian mozzarella balls bought at an Italian specialty shop in downtown Gauthier, Casablanca. Then there is the Dutch aged cheese…our true rival. In a few month’s time I was able to identify a favorite one (Fenugreek Gouda), because of all of the free tasting opportunities in cheese shops and markets. With all the festas on our island, I’m wondering if it would be too much to organize an Açorian Cheese event? One of my friends who was born here says, “ I guess there between 400-500 festas a year here: 3 street bullfights a day from April until September = 450 + local and national holidays.” So what’s one more, I ponder? Maybe it could be a collaboration with the wine festas? And maybe we could welcome our island neighbors with this cake recipe? What do you think? Should we now discuss Açorian butter?;-)
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