Mobay

So, I may have found a new cheese to put on my favorites list. I was in my neighborhood market today and noticed a few new cheeses in the display case from Carr Valley Cheese Company. I had not seen cheese from this producer in the area prior to today, but it appears they have been around a while, located in La Valle, WI. Seeing they were new to the market, I figured I would give them a shot. I'm glad I did!

While there were a few varieties available, one in particular, 'Mobay', caught my eye, as looked similar to a Morbier. Morbier is a French cow's milk cheese made up of two layers separated by a fine layer of ash. Traditional Morbier is made from two milkings, evening and morning, though modern Morbier is made from single milk lots. Morbier was originally created from the practice of cheese makers taking the leftover remaining curds from the day's Gruyere de Comte production. At the end of the day, when there were leftover curds, the were placed in a mold and covered with ash to protect them. The next morning, that layer was covered with fresh curds from the morning's to complete the cheese.

Carr Valley's Mobay is an interesting take on Morbier as it utilizes sheep's milk in one layer, and goat's milk in the other, with a layer of grape vine ash seperating the two. On their website, Carr Valley describes the flavor as "delicate and rustic", though I thought there was much more to comment on.

The cheese is quite complex when both layers are eaten together as a single slice. The goat cheese layer gives a clean, waxy note, similar to a young goat Gouda, while the sheep's milk layer adds earthy, nutty flavors with a slight tartness, and a light phenolic finish.

I think this cheese would be a great medium strength cheese for a cheese plate, or when you just want something really tasty to snack with fruit or crackers.