Cheese #1: Cambozola

Hello new followers. Welcome to Pondering Cheese, a new hopefully weekly blog that reviews and compares cheeses. I want to start this blog in a strong way to show each of you how serious I take my cheese. In order to do this I will start by reviewing Cambozola, a cheese I was introduced to by my wife's family. Before I dive into my review of this cheese I must make a confession. I do not study cheese, as I started writing this post I had no idea what the process of making Cambozola was but after a simple Google search of Cambozola which led me to Wikipedia and a few other cheese blogs (What there are other cheese blogs!?!? Ryan is not the first with this idea! I know, I was surprised myself.) I found that Cambozola is a cows milk cheese made from French soft ripened triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola. Thank you Wikipedia. In the US, Cambozola is marked as a blue brie....Blah, Blah, Blah. Cambozola is pretty good as long as you like a strong blue cheesy taste. In my personal amateur expert opinion it is best served at room temperature and enjoyed on a light cracker or toasted bread. Apparently there are several recipes which call for Cambozola but I am not sure I would try these because this cheese is strong enough that it would probably take over as the dominate taste and is perfectly delicious enjoyed alone.

As compared to the most superior cheese in the world, Colby Jack, I would give this cheese a 7.5 out of 10. Cambozola is soft and wonderfully creamy but takes a little to much work to enjoy. First off, you have to be in a blue cheese mood and lets be real for a second there is no one who is always ready to enjoy this type of taste. Colby Jack can be enjoyed at anytime by anyone. It is a cheese that makes the lactose intolerant community around the world realize getting sick is worth its deliciousness. While Cambozola is wonderful it is not versatile. It would not hold up at the bottom of a picnic basket and when you are eating it you have to avoid its tough, not-so-wonderfully tasting rind. The best cheeses of the world can be entirely enjoyed and there is no need to examine them to make sure you are eating the correct part. The best cheeses in the world are also not spreadable. The best cheeses in the world are easy to melt, need to be cut with a sharp knife, and can be made into snackable sticks for enjoyment. While Cambozola is rich and fantastic it does not fit the criteria for maximum enjoyment.

I hope you have enjoyed the inaugural post of Pondering Cheese. Please read my personal history with cheese and check back weekly for additional posts.

Peace, Love, and Cheese.