Jersey Blue

Jersey Blue cheese is a bit of a rarity among the more expensive cheeses, and it is anything but traditional. A modern take on an old favorite, it has veins of blue, white, and grey mold running throughout the cheese as well as on its mottled surface. It has only been made by a Swiss cheesemaker since 2006, but it is already a popular product.

It's referred to as an "externally rinded" blue variety because of its rind on the outside. Willi Schmid is the owner of the dairy, which produces more than 20 different types of cheese. In order to determine which cheeses to make, he tastes the raw milk that he obtains from local farmers and makes his decisions. Each round of Jersey Blue, made from raw milk from Jersey cows, weighs approximately four pounds and is shaped into domed rounds about five inches in diameter and five pounds in weight. Hand-ladling curds into a mold to create multiple "pockets" is required for this process to be successful.

Schmid uses two different types of blue mold and allows the cheese to age for approximately ten weeks, during which time the blue mold spreads throughout the paste and coats the rind of the cheese. When the cheese is uncut, it has a slightly musty aroma, which dissipates once the cheese is cut. It can be eaten either fresh or aged; when young, it has a soft, buttery texture; however, as it ages, the flavors become sharper and the veining turns green.

Price: Approximately $45 per pound.