A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
FEATURED PRODUCTS J&M Foods Offers Family Tradition of Quality
Absolute Authenticity from Le Gruyère AOP
J&M Foods proudly continues its family tradition and passion for good food by providing its customers with the best-tasting cheese straws and cookies in the market. J&M currently offers 21 products as well as additional seasonal offerings. In addition, new products to tickle the taste buds and provide something new for customers’ enjoyment are always being tested in the kitchen. Like its other products, J&M Foods’ Original Cheese Straws are made from the finest ingredients available and are free of trans fats and baked with care. J&M Foods enjoys being flexi-
Real Le Gruyère AOP is the true Swiss classic that makes a cheese flight first class. Real Gruyère has been produced in western Switzerland for more than 900 years. Rich in flavor and packed with nutrients from the milk of cows grazing in pristine pastures, Le Gruyère AOP is versatile – its nutty complexity is delicious on a cheese board, in fondue or in any recipe that needs a great melting cheese. Today, anyone can label a cheese “Gruyère,” but Le Gruyère AOP is the real deal, tightly upholding the tradition of the cheesemaking process, the regions where it is produced and the strict guidelines followed by the dairy farmers, cheesemakers
ble enough to handle all its customers’ needs. Located in a 32,000-square foot facility residing on 21 acres, the company has room to grow along its customers. Centrally located and nationally recognized, J&M Foods is an award-winning market leader within the specialty foods industry. Call for more information about J&M Foods, the Janis & Melanie line of treats or to discuss a private label need. J&M Foods 800.264.2278 www.janis-melanie.com
Fontina Aosta DOP Fontina Aosta DOP is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese made exclusively within Italy’s Aosta Valley. The area’s particular combination of flowers, herbs and pure water gives the cow’s milk its special fragrance and flavor. Fontina is made from the unskimmed milk of separate milkings. The milk is placed in a cauldron, clotted and processed according to ageold techniques. All thermic treatments aimed at reducing microbes (pasteurization) are excluded to allow for a richer taste, aroma and quality. The cheese is then salted and left to age, maturing at about four to five months. During this phase the cheese is treated daily, almost completely by hand. In the first
three months, the cheese is placed on pine shelves and turned over every other day, as well as being salted and brushed with salty water. Then regular cleaning of the cheese’s surface continues until the product is matured. The result is a cheese that acquires a softtextured paste with the typical sweet and delicate flavor. Fontina is cylindrical and flat in shape. The rind is thin, ranging from reddish yellow to dark brown in color; the paste is soft but compact and springy. The sweet taste varies considerably depending on the degree of aging. Savello USA Inc. info@savellousa.com www.savellousa.com
Hall’s Benedictine Spread Hall’s Beer Cheese launches the newest member to the line of already popular dips and spreads. The Hall’s Benedictine Spread launched in the spring of 2020 to much acclaim from foodies and fans. The Hall’s Benedictine Spread features a crisp cucumber flavor that is paired perfectly with a range of 26
The Cheese Guide
accompaniments from crackers, flatbreads and bagels. Benedictine is currently sold at Liquor Barn locations in Kentucky, select Hy-Vee stores in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and online. Hall’s Beer Cheese www.beercheese.com
and affineurs. Pure, unpasteurized milk is gathered from 170 farms and brought to expert cheesemakers to produce 80pound wheels of Le Gruyère AOP, which are then carefully matured in local cellars. Only the wheels that pass the highest standards set by professional cheese graders are allowed to be sold as “Le Gruyère AOP.” Travel back to 1115 AD with Le Gruyère AOP for an experience of one of the great mountain cheeses of Switzerland – 100 percent natural, 100 percent additive free, and naturally gluten free – just as it has always been. Le Gruyère www.gruyere.com
Gayo Azul Edam Edam cheese is one of the most famous Dutch cheeses, traditionally produced in a ball shape. It is named after the small Dutch town of Edam, where it was first produced. Imported from The Netherlands, Gayo Azul Edam is a young cheese made with part-skim milk for a rich, buttery flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. Edam is a traditional table cheese, and it tastes great in sandwiches or simply as
a snack. Gayo Azul Edam melts beautifully in baking dishes, or serve it cubed in salads and vegetable dishes. Gayo Azul Edam Balls are available in 30-ounce or 4pound balls. It’s also available in 8-ounce exact weight wedges. FrieslandCampina 201.655.7730 www.frieslandcampina.com www.gayoazul.com
Widmer’s Aged Brick Cheese Brick cheese is an American original and is among the first washed rind cheeses produced in the U.S. It was developed in 1877 by John Jossi, a Swiss born cheesemaker. As Jossi did, Joe Widmer uses real brick to press his cheese, the same bricks his grandfather used in 1922. After pressing, the cheese is placed in a salt brine for 11 hours, then moved to a warm, humid curing room where it is washed and turned daily for seven
days. It is then packed in parchment paper and foil. It reaches peak flavor at four to five months. This semi-soft cheese has a pleasant, earthy flavor that intensifies with age. Widmer’s Aged Brick is also available with caraway seeds. Suggested retail price is $12.99 to $15.99/pound. Widmer’s Cheese Cellars 888.878.1107 www.widmerscheese.com