29 July 2010

Ultimate Chocolate Cheese: Wensleydale with Belgian Chocolate [Deli] (Asda)


I have been quoted in the past as saying “if it can have chocolate, it really should have chocolate”. I use this expression when choosing items to purchase, for example ‘what type of breakfast cereal to buy’, it works for a lot of things!
Still there were items that even I felt didn’t need chocolate adding to them, up to now this included Wensleydale cheese. Up in Yorkshire it is quite common to eat Christmas cake with a slice of Wensleydale cheese, but I’ve never been convinced of the concept, and always felt that cheese was a savoury item.
Admittedly the delicatessen counter regularly has Wensleydale with fruit, such as apricot or cranberry, but chocolate is a new one - even on me! I tentatively opened the packet, and found the cheese had a very delicate mild smell, which was just vaguely sweet.
I chopped a small piece off to try. Thankfully the cheese wasn’t overly sweet and the creamy crisp flavour of the Wensleydale mixed delicately with the rich cocoa taste. It would be difficult to categorise this cheese as being specifically savoury or sweet, as the answer lies somewhere in the middle. The chocolate doesn’t add a huge sugary taste, but this is well and truly a good thing. What you are left with is a cheese that is undeniably chocolately but still very palatable. The more I ate the more I enjoyed this cheese, and its complex flavour, even if at first it does seem to have an identity crisis.
I would love to know other people’s views if they have tried this cheese? It is such an interesting taste, more cocoa than chocolate and not at all what I expected. It is so much more than just a novelty; it’s a very clever cheese!

8 comments:

Anne said...

Sounds intriguing! I normally stay away from supermarket cheeses, but I may have to try that one if I ever get a chance to pop into an Asda. I just have a weakness for seemingly odd flavor combinations….

Anonymous said...

How strange! Would you consider having it on toast or in a bap?

cinabar said...

Anne - yes it was really nice to see such an interesting cheese in a supermarket. Asda's deli counter had a good selection, but you can see why this one caught my eye!

Anon - Not sure I'd I toast it or eat it in a sandwich. But it is wonderful to have with crackers, a few other cheeses and some pickles.

Nick said...

Sounds like an yet another extremely good reason to boycott Asda completely.

cinabar said...

lol - honestly, it wasn't that bad!

cinabar said...

YEs, a nice hint without being over powering or too sweet.

CaptainKindling said...

I love cheese, and I LOVE chocolate... but why did it have to be Wensleydale? :-\ That's one of the very few cheese I don't like.

cinabar said...

It works though because it is a creamy cheese - Wensleydale works really well with soft fruit like apricots as it carry the sweetness.