We all know how versatile cheese can be, and now there’s an ant-topped chèvre on the market.
Kris Lloyd of South Australia’s Woodside Cheese Wrights and Kris Lloyd Artisan created Anthill, a creamy, slightly crunchy concoction that was a top 16 entry at the World Cheese Awards in November. Adrian Boswell, a cheese buyer at London’s Selfridges and a judge, called it the best in the entire competition.
“It is like nothing I have ever tasted,” said Boswell. “It’s creative and innovative . . . such a great cheese.”
The native Australian arthropods—which lend a lemony flavor—sit on the milky white surface of five-day-old chèvre. Combined with the ground lemon myrtle leaves that coat all four sides, Lloyd describes Anthill as a “citrus explosion” and a “mixture of kaffir lime and lemongrass.” She says the demand for it is unprecedented, but the cheese isn’t cheap; one kilogram costs more than $350 Australian (approximately $270 USD).
Lloyd is proud of the fact that Anthill is 100 percent Australian, and she’s no stranger to showcasing her homeland’s native ingredients. Her products include chèvres and buffalo milk cheeses featuring plants and vegetables including saltbush, lemon myrtle, and bush tomato. Given the great response Anthill has received, don’t be surprised to see more creative combinations like it in the near future.
“This is the first flirt with insects and cheese but not the last!” says Lloyd.
Alyssa Kim
Alyssa is culture's former Web Editor. Raised in Mass., she's excited to be back in her home state after six years of working in journalism and TV production in NYC.
