Czech cheese production, though incomparable with “cheese giants” including France, the Netherlands or Italy, also takes pride in several cheeses that captivate your taste. Truly Czech cheese is undoubtedly unique “Olomoucké tvarůžky”, described in
our article. Other popular Czech cheeses are usually inspired abroad, such as “niva”, blue-vein cheese, similar to famous Roquefort. However, this yellow creamy semi-soft cheese with green mould is made of cow milk rather than sheep milk. Its distinct and salty taste with the mould adding piquancy is used also in warm dishes, being a good match for pasta dishes, potatoes, vegetables, but also for poultry and pork. Italian-type cheese Bel Paese has a Czech variety called “Blaťácké zlato”, golden soft cheese with unique mildly sour taste of cheese base, underlined with delicious tones of almonds or walnuts. It is great with fresh white wines, such as Grüner Veltliner, Müller Thurgau or Neuburger. Another popular cheese is called “hermelín”, soft maturing cheese covered with white mould. This round-shaped Czech variety of famous French camembert with its delicious mushroom-like taste and fine-creamy consistency is used on traditional Czech open sandwiches, cheese plates but it is also great in cheese spreads or salads. Moreover, “hermelín” is also eaten pickled in oil with other ingredients, such as onion, pepper and various spices, a meal offered in most Czech restaurants to accompany draught beer. Very tasty pickled “hermelín” is served for example in
Dačický Beer House in the town of Kutná Hora.