Atika

Producer

Tomales Farmstead Creamery

Country

United States

Region

California

Size

7 in diameter x 3 in height

Weight

3.5 to 4.5 lbs

Website

www.tolumafarms.com

Milk

Sheep
Goat

Treatment

Pasteurised

Classification

Firm

Rennet

Animal

Rind

Natural
Flavor Added

Husband-and-wife duo David Jablons and Tamara Hicks purchased Toluma Farms’ 160 acres of rolling green hills in 2003, and started milking sheep on the property four years later. In 2012, with some help from local grants and organizations, the couple built Tomales Farmstead Creamery and began making cheese. Today the repertoire includes goat, sheep, and mixed-milk cheeses, made using farmstead milk from Toluma’s 100-plus East Friesian sheep and 200-plus goats. Creamy Jersey cow’s milk, sourced from a neighbor’s farm two miles down the road, is also sometimes used.

Like all of the Marin County-based creamery’s cheeses, this one’s name, which translates to “two,” draws from the language of the coastal region’s original inhabitants: the Miwok. “From everything we’ve come to learn about this tribe we know they took excellent care of the land,” says Hicks. “Since we have so many school age tours, we wanted to educate people about those who lived on this land and had such great respect for it—and also teach some of the few words that are still known.”

As its name implies, Atika is made from a mix of two different milks: goat and sheep. The rustic little wheels are aged from six to nine months, washed in a solution of cultures and brine every couple of weeks. Before sale, they undergo a final washing in chardonnay from California’s Balletto Vineyards.

Tasting Notes

A gorgeous ridged, mottled rind surrounds a flaky paste, yellow-white paste that easily breaks into shards. Initial aromas of buttered wheat toast, wildflowers and sour cream give way to flavors of roasted almonds and sweet cream.

Pairings

Pair Assa with Balletto Vineyards or another Chardonnay—or simply serve with fruit (apples, fig jam, persimmons or quince paste).