Cambozola

Copyright 2009 Kaserei

Vegetarian – Suitable Cheese

Although first invented in the early 1900s by the Bergader family of Bavaria, it was the German company, Kaserei Champignon, which in the 1970s began to industrially produce this combination of a French soft triple cream cheese, similar to a Camembert, with the Italian Gorgonzola. The Lady said something about Champignon holding a patent for making this cheese. Its original name was Bavarian Blu.

The word Cambozola is a portmanteau of Camembert and Gorgonzola.

This is not my favorite cheese that The Lady has brought home. In fact, I didn’t really care for it or another similar cheese made by the same company. But I watched The Lady and The Man and they were quite taken with the cheese. My review is based on their enthusiastic enjoyment of this cheese.

The Lady loved the creaminess of the cheese and The Man loved the bite of the Gorgonzola component of the cheese. They had it on plain whole-grain crackers and The Man had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, which he said complimented the cheese quite well.

I also heard The Lady tell The Man that this cheese is a favorite of her friend Mary, who is observed by a dozen felines outside of the Capital Quadrant. According to The Brain, Mary is quite special and leads such an interesting life that she requires twelve observers. Personally, I question the abilities of a couple of her observers, particularly Ali and Buster. If they did their jobs better, maybe Katie and Sasha could be dispatched to watch that place called The White House. I hear a very important (imagine that…) canine named Barney lives there and requires constant observation.

But I digress…

The Lady had some recipes for various hors d’oeuvre using the “mini” version of the Cambozola instead of a wedge from a wheel. She said you scoop out the middle of the cheese and then mix it with other items such as port-glazed figs or spinach or spiced cherry chutney to make a filling. I thought the sausage and pepper combination sounded tasty; particularly if it was Sciurus carolinensis sausage. Sciurus carolinensis tartare with the Cambozola might be an interesting culinary delight. However, according to The Lady, you gently heat the filled cheese shells in the oven to melt the cheese and blend its flavor with the other ingredients.

There is also a Cambozola Cream Spread for bread and crackers.

With deference to The Lady and The Man’s taste, I give Cambozola 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: Serve with fresh fruit, especially pears, and crackers or crusty bread. Mary likes a cold soup made with Cambozola and Pears.

Wine and Beer Pairings for Cambozola:

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Chardonnay

Beer: Arctic Red, Bavarian Wheat

Fat Content: 70-75% butterfat in its dry matter or approximately 40% fat overall.

Source: Cow’s Milk