The Klein River Cheese Co, is a family -run farmstead that is located in the Overberg region in Western Cape of South Africa. They're an environmentally friendly energy efficient cheesemakers and I had the luck of meeting a farm rep at the fancy food show in NYC. There wasn't a larger sample available for me to take away, so I had to do my best with this 5 oz slice.

This award-winning "full fat hard cheese" is their Swiss-style cheese matured for a minimum of 6 months to give it a nutty tang. It has a firm, smooth nutty paste that reminded me of an excellent Gruyere. As soon as I unwrapped it, I noticed the strong, sweet fragrance that instantly made me hungry.

Each 15 kg head is brushed twice a week with a solution of salt, water and cultures. This causes a deacidification on the surface of the rind and helps break down the fat and protein within the cheese to release even more flavour and aromas.

This is absolutely delicious and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to paint a South African cheese.

Country of Origin: South Africa

Price: $600