Cheese of the Week – Yarg

What Type of cheese is it?

Cornish Yarg is a semi-hard pasteurised  cow’s milk cheese made in Cornwall. After pressing and brining, handpicked local nettles are painted onto the cheese by hand. The application of nettles changes the acidity on the outside of the cheese, thus affecting the manner in which the curd breaks down and matures. The texture varies from creamy and soft immediately under the nettle coating to a Caerphilly cheese-like crumbly texture in the middle. The rind is edible.

What Flavours Does It Have?

This cheese has a fresh, lemony flavour once it has matured with occasional hints of mushroom. The crumbly core tends to have more yoghurty lactic flavours where the cheese closer to the rind is more buttery and creamy.

Where does the name come from? 

“Yarg”  “Gray” spelt backwards. It is named after Alan and Jenny Gray the farmers who found a 1615 recipe by Gervase Markham for a nettle-wrapped semi-hard cheese in their attic. The original recipe is thought to date back to the 13th century.

The cheese is produced at Lynher Dairies Cheese Company near Truro.

What would you drink with this cheese?

Yarg is great with dry, fruity white wines or lighter, younger reds. It’s also great with cider or a citrusy, hoppy, pale beer

Featured Image Credit – Yarg – Mike Geno – oils on wood