Beerkaese is a semi-soft American cow’s milk cheese with a tangy, nutty flavor and strong odor. It was developed in the 1930s to pair with ales and stouts and is similar to Swiss and German cheeses. It should be stored carefully and discarded if it shows signs of mold or discoloration.
Beerkaese is a semi-soft aged cow’s milk cheese that has a tangy, nutty flavor. It also has a strong odor as it ages, which some consumers find off-putting. The cheese is also marked as “kaese beer”. The cheese is a specialty of American Heartland dairies and is available in many grocery stores and specialty stores across the United States. People outside the United States can order the cheese specifically or purchase a similar variety made by a local dairy.
Despite its Germanic name, beerkaese is an all-American cheese. It was developed in the 1930s, when the repeal of the Prohibition made the consumption of alcohol legal again. The cheese was designed to pair with ales and stouts, so it was made to be very robust. Beerkaese also pairs well with dark breads like rye and nickel rye, along with side dishes like pickled onions. The strong flavor of the cheese makes it less suitable for pairing with delicate wines and flavours.
The cheese bears a great resemblance to many Swiss and German cheeses. A rind is allowed to develop on the beerkaese as it ages, resulting in a cheese with a creamy ivory interior and a hard yellowish to light brown rind. Beerkaese is typically made in the form of a brick cheese. Consumers cut pieces of the brick as desired, leaving the rind on the unused cheese to keep it as fresh as possible.
When young, beerkaese has a more delicate and creamy flavour. Usually the cheese can age, developing an intense flavor and smell leading to comparisons to Limburger, a typically smelly cheese. Like other American cheeses, beerkaese is made from pasteurized milk and, along with other “brick” cheeses, is traditionally pressed with bricks during the molding process.
When selecting beerkaese or any semi-soft cheese, try to get a sample of the cheese if you’re buying it whole. If you are buying a wedge, examine it carefully. The beerkaese should have a smooth texture and uniform color. Discard any cheese that shows signs of cracking, mold, or discoloration. The texture of beerkaese can vary slightly, depending on the dairy, but as a general rule, the cheese shouldn’t be runny.
After you bring the cheese home and open it, wrap it again in parchment or waxed paper, to prevent the introduction of harmful bacteria or mold. Store cheese refrigerated, preferably in a contained area of the refrigerator so the cheese doesn’t pick up odors or flavors from other foods. Beerkaese can also be double-wrapped so that its smell does not permeate the refrigerator.
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