I have found it. Carefully hidden in a local cheese shop. It was packed away in a corner, neglected by pretty much everyone, including myself. Compared to the huge wheels of parmesan reggiano or the bright hues of the blues, this little gem look boring. Just a big, pale, square. Nothing to make it stand out.
Apparently this is one of those special cheeses bought by head chefs to be served at their restaurants on their expensive cheese plates, as the local monger explained. Few “civilians” ever give this particular beauty a second glance.
It is NOT an exotic cheese from some far off country, and it is not one of those celebrity cheeses from Europe that has been granted A.O.C or D.O.P status, guaranteeing taste and quality standards. It is a cheese made in America.
It does not have any flashy gimmicks like featuring truffles, herbs mixtures, or fine particles of gold. It follows standard production techniques and is simply finished with a washed rind.
The milk is from a cow, not from a goat, sheep, buffalo or some almost extinct snow leopard in the Himalayas.
It is…Grayson, a cheese made by Meadow Creek Dairy in Virginia.
Behold the power of Grayson Cheese. A real kick in the face that will leave you wanting more. Once you have a nibble from a block of grayson, the taste will last all day with you. A good thing if you like stinky cheese, a bad thing if your wife likes minty breath.
Ok. It’s good, it’s not the ONLY cheese you will ever need, and it is not going to replace my go-to-Gruyere; but this humble American-made delicacy is pretty damn tasty. Modeled after a taleggio style of cheese, Grayson is far more powerful. This lesser-known cheese has got some serious funk, but not quite as stinky as Limburger. The taste though is extremely powerful and really hits you in the face. Earthy is one way to describe the taste, but you really need to try it. The flavor really does stand out and hold up to being cooked with a bunch of other foods. I have tried a VERY wide range of cheeses, and I am proud to say that this American made product has got to be one of the strongest dairy products I have ever experienced (and this includes the smell spewing from a fermented horse milk beverage served while I was in Mongolia).
As I have described before, the power of cheese is amazing, so naturally one of the best cheeses out there is going to rock your world in almost any application. So take my advice, be a cheese snob, and get yourself something you won’t find vacuum-sealed in Walmart.
Fed Up Food 
interesting. could you write something advising on when to use pepper jack versus monterey jack cheese? i can never figure it out!! it is driving me crazy too!
Hi Cheezlova1978, HAHA I think I have my next “rant”: trying to figure out when to use what.
Some cheeses I find are so similar or mild that their application works in almost any scenario, like a dry mozzarella and a young provolone.
Other cheeses are so distinctive that using them in the wrong way can lead to really crummy results. Like trying to replace a nice melty cheese like a Gruyere or raclette cheese with an aged Pecoriono Romano. The romano won’t really melt like the Gruyere and has a COMPLETELY different flavor profile that compliments entirely different foods.
I may be wrong…but I am pretty sure:
Pepper Jack and Monterrey Jack cheese are both cheeses originally from California. Basically they are both the same, mild cheese based off of an American style cheddar. They both melt real well and go great in “tex/mex” or “southwest” dishes. The BIG difference between pepper jack and monterey jack is that pepper jack typically has jalapenos added to it giving it some heat. I personally would take the pepper jack over the monterey because I find the cheese so very mild on its own without any “kick”…
but in truth, if I want heat/spice added to a meal, then I add some fresh peppers or seasonings… If I want cheese added to a meal, then I add a cheese that has some flavor….so to make a long story short, I usually dont go for mild cheeses like monterry jack or cheese with flavorings added like pepper jack. just my 2 cents.
So I stay stick with the Grayson mentioned above…be a cheese snob, it is worth it for the tasty results. Check out my tips here and thanks for reading!
http://fedupfood.com/2012/02/25/be-a-cheese-snob-or-at-least-sound-like-one/
OMG! I love cheese. I once read an article about how even different herbs the cows eat add to the flavor of the cheese made from their milk. Maybe it’s something like this here too 😀
Cheese snob! Haha! Nice word!
As true connoiseurs of cheese (in all forms) we are saddened you have taken the position that there is only one cheese needed.
But since your blog was well written, we might forgive you.
Congrats on being Freshly Sliced…oops, we mean Freshly Pressed.
The Rat Pack of Hollywood
I agree, in ALL HONESTY, there is NO “one” cheese for every occasion. But this one is pretty tasty though.
Reblogged this on urbanperegrines and commented:
Warms my cheesemonger heart to see this.
Looks great, but I doubt Ill get it in Australia. My favourite cheese has to be peppercorn peccorino (also known as romano sometimes). Its great. Enjoy!
Great cheese too!
nom nom nom
I LOOVE cheese! And I will definitely love to taste this one 🙂
Yep, you gotta try it
Your Grayson is a rather exotic cheese for me, looking at it across the Atlantic from here in Finland. It depends where you are wether something is exotic or not.
Most of our cheeses here are sold out a bit “raw”, but we do have some exquisite cheese types of our own. In my opinion the best cheese here comes usually from small local dairies and is made from ordinary cow milk (we do not have many goatherders). The main problem of such a small source is, that it is sometimes hard to aquire even in the neighbouring community.
One of our specialities is the “Finnish squeaky cheese”, wich you might find exotic, but is quite an ordinary thing on my breakfast table. Here is a link to an article about it in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leip%C3%A4juusto
I LOVE cheese. I’ve always said if I was lactose intolerant I would probably just die. Thanks for the recommendation, I’ve never tried this kind before but your post made me want to. Yum! Congrats on FP!
intresting…
I shall have to try it. I consider my self a cheesy person (pun intended) and have found nothing to rival this
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neufchâtel_(cheese)
They do a young and an old version. If you can get your hands on it, it will blow you away.
It ain’t easy, being cheesy.
Not sure you’ve persuaded me to drop my old Himalayan snow leopard cheese stand-by, but I’m intrigued…
Nice site, dude, and congratulations on FP! I love that you have a Rants tab.
Haha, snow leopard cheese is pretty good stuff. Thanks for reading!
Haha, snow leopard cheese is pretty good stuff. Thanks for reading! And remember, stay fed up, stay fed well
Haha. Snow leopard cheese is good stuff I hear. Thanks for reading!
Applewood Smoked all the way:
http://www.idealcheese.com/applewoodsmokedcheddar.aspx
I allready am a cheese snob 😉
Nice post.
looks great, I’m sure it’s worth putting up with the smell 🙂
definitely worth the smell
Sounds tasty! Grayson Cheese! I will definitely give it a try!
Hahah! I always love cheese! Cheers to this delicious post 😛
I love cheese. lol. enjoyed the post. I’m always looking for more food knowledge. Thanks! & I’ll try to check out this cheese soon!
I like cheese …
…it looks delicious
As a cheese lover, I’m afraid I could never be monogamous to just one… 🙂
Hi Beyondanomie, I completely agree…no true cheese lover can have only one passion. Each cheese can play such different roles depending on the dish they may be served with. I love a good cave aged Gruyere with broccoli on roasted garlic on pizza: http://fedupfood.com/2012/01/08/gruyere-cheese-pizza/
And pecorino romano is a great cheese that I love to finish a dish with.
And don’t even get me started about a moldy goat cheese (Humboldt Fog) which I have found is amazing with fresh thyme.
But for now, Grayson is a pretty good cheese that melts well, tastes great, and does not get lost among the other flavors when cooked with.
Sorry but it’s not cheese… Come in france and i’ll show you what is cheese! 😉
Those are fighting words…haha I will agree France has some decent cheese, but I truly am amazed with this American beauty.
Cheese rules!
Great share!
chees really delicious…its looking very testy.
Not a cheese person but it does look quite good.
val
http://valentinedefrancis.wordpress.com
I’ve heard of Grayson, but haven’t had the chance to try it. I’m definitely putting it on my list!
Yep, this is a cheese you have to try if you like stuff that really is powerful. It is going out of season right now, so you might have to wait 4-5 months, unless you can find some monger who has a nice little stock stored up.
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage? My blog site is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Thanks a lot!
Please feel free to link back to my site
OOHHH that sounds so good, I love cheese, wonder if I can get it here in Dublin
I am not sure if you can get Grayson is Dublin…I bet you could special order it. It really is good!
But…there are some AMAZING cheddar style cheeses that I have tried that are from Ireland…You are very lucky to have those. They are a rare, and costly treat for me.
I know … I love cheddar, really mature ones and ohhh when they just crumble in your mouth bliss. Will keep my eyes open for Grayson and hopefully my taste buds will follow 🙂
Thanks for alerting me to Grayson. I’m going to try to find it here on the west coast.
I am sure you can find it, I think even Whole Foods will bring it in if it is in season and you request their cheese monger. Of course you can always special order it too. But hey, you have some pretty good cheeses on the West Coast, I am a big fan of Humbolt Fog from Cypress Grove.
That cheese looks so good it could be a slice of pie.
Ha, yep! I never thought it looked like a pie. But now that you mention it…it really does look like a slice of pie…or cake.
For some reason, I am suddenly in the mood for cheesecake now.
“The power of cheese.” … definitely.
You better believe it. Cheese is all powerful and has some amazing ability to make good food GREAT!
Marble is the only cheese I need. It works perfectly with everything I eat, and looks great too!
Yumm! Thanks for sharing : )
CHEESE ROCKS!!! THE ONLY THING STOPPING ME FROM GETTING UP AND CUTTING SOME NOW, IS YOUR BLOG. WELL DONE!!!!! 🙂
BY THE WAY THAT WASN’T AN INSULT, T’WAS A COMMENT 🙂
HAha, Great! Thanks for reading and I am glad you like the site…now go be a loyal cheese fanatic and grab a chuck cheese in one hand and surf Fed Up with the other. You might be interested in being a cheese snob like me… http://fedupfood.com/2012/02/25/be-a-cheese-snob-or-at-least-sound-like-one/
Sounds cool. Glad you haven’t fallen into the trap of thinking that something has to be exotic to be excellent, as I think that Western Culture is so often undervalued.
Still I could never give up on Stilton!
Some times even our humble American singles are tasty to:
http://fedupfood.com/2012/03/25/american-colonization/
and the simple dishes are often the perfect foods:
http://fedupfood.com/2012/02/24/satisfying-simplicity/
I want to be a cheese snob and I want some Grayson to help me get there. Looks and sounds delicious.
I love it! I thought I was the only one!
Your Blog entry makes me want to get on a plane from London. I want that cheese!!!!!
Cheese lover.
America has some great cheese, but so does Europe. The cheddar from the UK is amazing!
Yes, I am blessed with unlimited cheddar. Applewood smoked cheddar is the best !!!
Lover of the cheese:) Congrats on being FP!
Yep. this is cool. I have never been “freshly pressed” Thanks for reading!
What a nice find and an enjoyable read too!
thanks for dishing up a new cheese, appreciated
Thanks for reading! Seriously, check out this cheese.
I will look for it here on the west coast, thanks for the tip.
Sorry, don’t believe you. Life is too short for just one cheese! However, thanks for sharing, I may just have to check this little chunk of goodness out one day…
To be honest, I agree. we need more than one cheese in our world…but this stuff is pretty amazing.
In North Italy, Friuli, we have Montasio and “Latteria”, the best Latteria I ate was from Montasio mountain.
They took the cows on the plateau in June and from July you can ate the cheese they make, yellow, fat and tasty cheese! that kind of montasio is wery different from those montasio named they make in great factories, using milk from cows that have never seen the real green grass in their life.
So we like very much President and Taleggio (here it is not so expensive as i think it is in America), Gorgonzola and Belpaese, “provolone dolce” and brie.
In North Italy you can’t find american cheeses but I suppose they are tasty.
Wow, thanks. You are lucky to have such good cheeses nearby and far cheaper. Many good cheese like Taleggio here in the USA are not cheap.
Your description has my mouth watering!
I’m not a fan of stinky cheese, but I’m from VA so I almost feel obligated to vouch for Grayson. I like to try new stuff a lot though. I go to the “Cheese Shop” here in Colonial Williamsburg a lot, and they have the BEST sandwiches. I almost always try something different….That being said, Grayson isn’t going on my next sandwhich =)
Ok. fair enough. But it is nice to see your loyalty to your home-grown cheese! Mrs. Fed Up is not a stinky cheese fan either, and always gets frustrated when she comes home to a fridge full of cheese-funk.
Reblogged this on Things I grab, motley collection .
I wanna live in a house made of cheese, no wait that’s not really carefully thought out, however will i clean my place
Will have to try this! My husband and I are always stopping @ Whole Food to get new cheeses.
Will have to try this! My husband and I are always stopping @ Whole Food to grab new and exciting meats and cheeses.
You made a little typo: Comapred <=
Thanks… spelling is never my strength…I suck math too.
Cheese NOT found at Wal-mart or pre-shredded in a plastic bag is the cheese for me. I’ve been through Galax many times. I’ll have to stop in for a cheese tasting on my next pass through.
Processed, plastic bagged cheese and cheese from Walmart has its place, but it is a completely different food than “real” cheese. You really can never substitute one for the other. I usually try to pick up a nice chunk of unique cheese from the local shop once a week to use on meals where the cheese is the key player.
mmm sounds yummy. My favorite is Cowgirl Creamery goat gouda, I love the crystallization in it. Someday I’ll have to do an East Coast cheese tour.
I love this post! Def need to try this.
Hm, I’ll have to try this. I don’t know if we could live on one cheese alone, though. 🙂
Wasabi cheese, nuff said.
Never heard of it…but I like wasabi, i like cheese…must be a great combo
Greatest combo ever. It’s delicious.
Freshly Pressed, well done. Its a great blog, cheese is the best. Iam no cheese buff, however I love the stuff. I cant stand the crap they call cheese in the supermarkets. I will take your advise and grab a lump of the cheese you described to us.
Andy O.
Yep thanks for reading. And try this cheese. It scary how tasty it is
Looks like I will be stopping in soon at The Wine And Cheese Shop. Seriously, does it get any better than a store than specializes in wine and cheese?
haha. wine, cheese, and candy?
Curious. Dutch boy, so well known with cheese.
greetz
Love cheese, grate blog, now following. Cheers Mr Fed Up 🙂
Great, THANKS for following!
Oh man. Must try this cheese. My fave ever is smoked Gouda (pronounced the proper Dutch way, where the G sounds like a guttural H), but I love cheese like I love breathing air.
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I’ll have to see if we can get this way up here in New England. Sounds really good — I like strong cheeses.
Rautakky: Thanks for the link. The cheese sounds delicious, and I’m very intrigued by something called cloudberry jam, wow!
I love cheeses, and will be trying this one soon. 🙂 Thank you for posting.
sounds good, although 12 month Manchego is tops in my book, and if you are ever in Wisconsin fresh cheese curds, squeak and all are great too.
Mmm I’m tempted….but have you not tried Wookey Hole Cheddar?
http://www.wookey.co.uk/wookey-hole-cave-age-cheddar-has-been-crowned-supreme-champion/
havent tried it yet…never seen it here in Louisiana
I really like Grayson, it’s pretty cool also that the family that makes this cheese has the last name of Feete! Try Hudson Red sometime from the Hudson Valley in NY. I write a lot about cheese and wine. Check out my blog for my 10 cheese you can’t live without page sassysipsnyc.com
thanks for the recommendations. I will check out your site
I live in Virginia and now I gotta go find this cheese.
I haven’t had this cheese before. I mainly like blue cheeses, like the roaring 40’s 🙂
Great post. Have never seen this cheese before. It will be my mission to see if any stores around here carry it!
If you like strong cheeses, you will love it…if not, I am sure your sous-chef will happily finish it off for you.
MANCHEGO!!!!!!!
or Everona from Virginia if they still make it.
I don’t know that I have met a cheese I didn’t like! Gotta try this one! Congrats on being FP!
Whenever I stop into my local cheese shop, I gravitate toward the aromatic cheeses. And the cheese they’ve recommended to me more than once is Hooligan, an American stinky cheese made from raw milk. It’s called Hooligan from a farm in Connecticut. From the way you describe Grayson, it sounds like they might be similar.
Wow, I am going to have to check this one out
Cheese will always be my weakness. I will check out Grayson.
That sounds SO amazing. Love the blog!
great. Thanks for reading!
I’ve never tried this cheese…and now I will be in search of some! Thank you!
I’m going to have to try this one out. As my husband would say, may the stink be with you… Great Post, and I’m now following.
I’ll have to try Grayson–thanks for sharing this!
Like some of the other commenters, I prefer smoked cheese (of any kind). But I have eaten Limburger–and found, just as you mention, that it tastes great, dispite the smell!
Yummy…after reading this I am started looking my cheese supplied in my freezer
Wow. So good to know this. I can’t wait to try it.
yummy this cheese looks superb…..
Yum YUm.. I’m a cheeseaholic!
A day does not go by that I’m not putting cheese on, in ,or around something.
I have never been a fan of Limburger. Finally I’m becoming a fan of Fetta. It always seemed to be to strong when I was younger.
I will look for Grayson and give it a test.
Great blog. I’ll be back.
Robert
Thanks for reading!
good taste with added cheese
I love cheese! It’s good to read this
Whenever I stop into my local cheese shop, I gravitate toward the aromatic cheeses. And the cheese they’ve recommended to me more than once is Hooligan, an American stinky cheese made from raw milk. It’s called Hooligan from a farm in Connecticut. From the way you describe Grayson
Well I considered myself a little bit of a cheese expert and I’ve also spent over 4 years living the USA but I’ve never heard of this cheese! So thanks for the tip, next time I’m in the supermarket (England), I shall look out for this! 🙂
I am not sure if you can get it in England, but yes, this is really a good cheese.
Well I shall try my hardest and if I can’t, I shall pick some up when I’m visiting the USA in September 🙂
Thanks for the cheese tip! Especially since this is a Virginia dairy and my husband and I are always looking for good local or Virginia farms/dairies/wineries to support! I too love the smelly cheeses. My husband and I love doing a wine and cheese night outside during warmer weather – and I always try to pick up new cheese
I love cheese!! XDD So much so that it might just be a problem, lol. That picture totally looked like cheesecake at first though, so now you have got me craving that! Darn you! Hahaha.
cheers to cheese, I pick my cheese from a cheese farm near by she has her own names for them. She has a great one with cumin and mint flavour.
My mouth is literally watering- I love cheese so much that I smile at it. And do you know the best part of my cheese love affair? My husband hates cheese so he gives his permission.
haha. Mrs. Fed Up likes cheese, but not the stinky stuff…which means more for me!
I love cheese. I live in a small town in South West France. I can just about get parmesan. Whilst I can find hundreds of very good French cheeses I do miss some of the UK favourites particularly a good Stilton. I am waiting for ‘The Cheese Shed’ to start delivering to mainland Europe although I am not sure this will be any time soon because of importing regulations:(. They have some fantastic looking cheese wedding cakes on their site. So – southfrance holidayvillas I expect you can bring me a taste back in September?
In Europe, you are all very lucky to have so many legendary cheese options.
Yes we are very lucky. I don’t remember having many options in the US but it has been nearly 30 years since I visited. I hope for your sake that things have changed.
Great article! Hopefully I can find it in my local cheese store. Thanks for this!
I’m a Dutchie, I just had to ‘like’ this post!
Sounds tasty! My boyfriend is really into trying different cheeses I’ll have to bring this to his attention 🙂
Good..i wil try this..i hate bread
cheesy post. yum yum
I’m such a cheese freak – I want to try this now.
Ouch! I guess I’m one of those with boring personal blogs… although I do occasionally write about food. Where can one get this cheese “gem”? Is it sold out of state?
Specialty cheese shops carry it, and I hear that Whole Foods has gotten it before when it is in season. Seriously try this stuff, ask the local monger to bring it in. …and I nothing personal about the “boring blogs” statement… I am sure yours is awesome. But you need to write more about food
I love trying different cheeses and have never heard of this one. I’ll have to look for it here in Canada. It looks like a Gouda but obviously does’nt taste like one
It has a much softer texture than a gouda. It really is like a Italian Telliagio.
okay, i personally HATE cheese but this one seems like a good one!!!
I am a cheese maniac! I am actually heading to Whole Foods tonight! We shall see if I am lucky enough to score some of this!
http://www.OCBetsie.com
yes Yes YES on the Grayson! I just discovered it last fall. Also, check out Vermont’s Oma… I think it’s a Von Trapp cheese (yes THOSE Von Trapps) but it is also quite heavenly.
wow, I will keep my eyes open for that one
Oh, geez!! I also HAVE to mention the Winnemere from Jasper Hill Farms. I do not share this. With. Anyone. Just me, a spoon, and this cheese…
Hi,
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
I love cheese as well. I may have had some Grayson, not sure. I had some particularity sticky cheese at my sister’s in Vienna, Virgina. Don’t remember the name. May have been purchased at Whole Foods.
I also really like the ‘cave-aged’ Gruyere from Trader Joe’s.
Droooooooooooooooooling
Yummmmmmmmmmmy! I like cheese very much. I just want to eat this picture, huh.
Ah Grayson! It is a staple at my favorite local Virginia winery – Linden Vineyards. It is amazing – especially with their Seyval!
I’ve never even heard of it. Now I’ll have to go find some. 🙂
“Crackers about Cheeeeese!”
Love cheese. Would like to try that one day!!!
It really is good. I have one nice chunk left in my fridge that I am saving…it is the last of the season’s batch
I will have to see if I can find this. Cheese is a passion of mine. 😀
You will love this cheese if you like “funk”
I’ll look for this one the next time I go to the store. And I won’t forget the wine to go with it. Now all I need is a big porch swing and a baby sitter and I’ll be in heaven. Thanks for sharing your find. =)
Haha. The simple things in life + a babysitter = perfect night.