Robusto Cheese
We have found an excellent new cheese to add to our favorites list; Robusto. It was a chance encounter which is the way we find most new cheeses to try. It was a simple stroll through Whole Foods when I ran into a display with large wheels of this cheese. Normally I would have strolled by, but it was lunch time and there was a sample tempting me to try it. I grabbed a sample and WOW this was great. A nutty flavor with Parmesan flair and a bit of cheddar but soft. It got my attention and a slab was in the basket.
At home we found this to be great cubed or sliced for the cheese platter and a great compliment to a medium bodied glass of red wine. I see promise for it in a future mix of cheeses for a fondue. I was also surprised to find out that this is a Dutch cheese.
Next time you are hovering around the cheese counter ask if they have it. You will not regret it. If you figure out where the bit of crunch comes from send me a note. It adds a bit of flair to the cheese.
Filed under: General
the crunch comes from naturally occurring salt crystals.
Caroline,
Thanks for clarifying that mystery. This must be a salt water washed rind cheese then.
[...] Robusto is some kind of aged Gouda but it's got all kinds of stuff going on. Three Meals A Day Robusto Cheese __________________ Despite its widespread use the word "gullible" isn't in the [...]
The crunches in cheese are actually amino acids that are
naturally occurring in the milk. The cheese isn’t porous enough to
soak up that much of anything they might rinse them with.
Read this – http://bitenyc.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-is-my-cheese-crunchy.html
It’s not salt
Thank you for sharing this information. This make a lot of sense and I might just have to get out my organic chemistry textbook and delve further into this.
I tired it at Whole Foods store and i loved it! another cheese to try is: Beer Cheese! Awesome and very creamy! Melts in your moutha and it is heavenly!
Robusto brings you down to earth and makes your life on earth fun and enoyable! Relish this cheese!
Partner it with fig spread—OMG. So good.
We love Robusto, but live in rural Iowa and can’t find it anywhere here. Am trying to find a way to buy it online, but no luck yet. Any ideas of online sources?
I just found this cheese today at Whole Foods, in the same manner as you did. Wow, what a great cheese. I love it with a full bodied chardonnay. My new fav.
Me too! Whole Foods last night, Robusto cheese today at lunch. Thanks for the link for the explanation for the crunchy bits… finally solved a nagging question I’ve had!
I also first discovered this cheese at a Whole Foods store in D. C. but have not been able to find it anywhere locally. Where else can it be purchased?
[...] have that strong acidity/sourness that I find in some of the wider produced aged Cheddars. Robusto Gouda–I probably sell more of this cheese than anything else (outside of Parmesan Reggiano) and [...]
This is one of my favorite cheeses! I love your blog and i happen to work at whole foods in the cheese department. The first time i tried it i was wondering what the crunch was and I found out it is salt granules! Knowing that makes me love robusto even more especially if you love salty cheeses. This is one of our most popular cheeses we sell at Whole Foods everybody loves it! If you want to experiment with robusto, dab some honey on a piece and you will go crazy for it because you get that sweet and salty taste and if your not a fan of honey you have to try our sour cherry spread with cheese-its out of this world!