Zimbro

oil on wood, 12x12"

Zimbro, original artwork by Mike Geno

From the Cheese Portraits series.

This "cheese bomb" is full of wonderfulness and was first introduced to me towards the end of a very magical cheese night, that of the 2nd "Cheese Ball" thrown by Madame Fromage in Jan 2014, Philadelphia. I met Matt from Salumeria, who's a great guy and a cheese monger with a heart made of cheese, no doubt. Visiting his shop, he offered to secure me this rare barrel of uncommon cheese, bound in cloth and shipped from Portugal.

This is a raw, sheep's milk, gooey, pudding-like cheese. Zimbro is made with thistle rennet from Portugal. It has layers of flavors ranging from sweet-fruity and herbal to slightly sour (apparently from the thistle rennet). Zimbro is made in small batches by artisan producer Casa Lusa. Cheeses are hand-formed, wrapped in cheesecloth and washed.

Origin: Portugal

Price: $800