Hudson Flower is a very unique cheese, and not just because of the smattering of herbs decorating its rind. The cheese changes hands throughout its maturation, traversing the state of New York. It all starts in the Hudson Valley, where the cheesemakers at Old Chatham Sheepherding Company craft the soft-ripened sheep milk cheese. Next, it’s sent to Murray’s Cheese in New York City, where it’s cared for by affineur Brian Ralph, and gilded with the herbs and spices that make it so recognizable.
Brian then ages the cheese for a few weeks in the Murray’s caves located in Long Island City, allowing the rind to bloom around the herbal coating and infuse the sublime paste with woodsy and flowery notes.
The richness of the sheep milk, combined with the herbal notes, creates a luscious cheese that lingers on your palate and hangs around in your head. I can still “taste” it weeks later… amazing how the brain can conjure up past scents and tastes long after the event… this is one of those cheeses.
Read more on CheeseSociety.org
Photo by Murray’s Cheese
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
