Everyone knows that rush of panic that overwhelms your body as you realize you’re going to be late. You’re grabbing everything you need as fast as you can and rushing out the door, but wait! You’re going to need something to eat on the way, why not some fine cheese? Typically we think of cheese as something you can only eat while you relax at the table with a glass of wine, but there’s no reason you can’t have it at any other time. Cheese can be the perfect to-go snack and can be especially useful for combatting running-late-anxiety.
But convenience is not the only reason to go with a smaller cheese. Just ask Sarah Dickerson over at the Wall Street Journal, who writes about the benefits of picking a smaller-sized cheese:
“There is a relationship between the size of a cheese and its taste. It’s difficult to get the crystalline sharpness of a long-aged cheddar or the forest-floor funk of a mottled blue cheese in a tiny format, but you can get a surprising range of flavors in a small package, from bright and tangy, to nutty and sharp, to buttery and ethereal. With small cheeses, there are no tattered rinds to clean up, no worries about proper storage of leftovers. They are lovely in part because they are fleeting.”
Here are some suggestions for the tastiest grab-and-go cheeses to keep handy!
Baby Goudas
Photo via Brown’s Cheese
Some of the best cheeses to get in a rush are just smaller versions of our favorites! Check out these adorable baby goudas from Gouda Cheese Shop.
Bijou
The texture of the paste is moist, dense, and crumbly in the center, becoming soft and smooth just under the rind as the cheeses mature.
Bijou, which means “jewel” in French, is one of Vermont Creamery’s smallest cheeses and perfect as an out-the-door snack. Made from pasteurized goat’s milk, it is tangy with flavors of clean milk, and notes of grass and hay.
Cabécou
Being so small, Cabécou reaches its maturation peak very quickly. The interior paste is straw-white in color, soft and oozy in texture.
No need to worry about the rind on this Cabécou from Adante Dairy, because it’s completely edible! And coming in at 1.5 inches wide, this cheese is small enough to enjoy the nutty rich flavor on your way out.
Hannahbells
These bite-sized cheeses are only as big as your thumb!
Available in a variety of flavors from lavender to chipotle, thimble-sized Hannahbells make a great snack, and are equally good for cooking. The slightly sweet sheep’s milk flavors are surprisingly bold, which makes them a satisfying snack.
Ile de France Brie Bites
All the buttery-creamy deliciousness of brie in a petite package.
Brie is a fantastic cheese, but it has just one fault: It’s not a cheese you can eat on the run. Fortunately, the folks at Ile de France have fixed this problem by creating these adorable Brie Bite snacks. They clock in at just 70 calories and are perfect for a mid-morning snack or spread on warm toast as a quick breakfast.
Petite Breakfast
This cheese makes a great breakfast, it’s right in the name!
This 4-ounce Petite Breakfast is a small version of Marin French Cheese’s popular Breakfast Cheese. It’s flavor is a little like cream cheese, but the texture is closer to chewy cheese curds. It makes a great breakfast when spread on a bagel or English muffin, or cut into slices and eaten with an apple.
Jarlsberg Minis
Nutty and sweet, these small cheese pack complex flavor that’s all grown up.
Wax-wrapped and full of flavor, these little cheeses are great for packing in lunches or leaving in the office fridge for a quick afternoon snack.
Cheese comes in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes small is better. So next time you’re at your cheese shop, look for something more compact to keep on your fridge. Then, you’ll always be ready to take your cheese with you!
Photo Credit: Featured image comes from our Parties by Culture mini-mag. Get the issue here.
Jamie Ditaranto
Jamie Ditaranto is a senior at Emerson College and an online editorial intern for culture, who enjoys writing, photography, and travel. She finds a way to sneak cheese into just about every meal and is a sucker for free samples.
