This is a hard regional cheese associated with Fife where there has been Friesian herds since the late 1700’s due to the trading with the Dutch ships and changing of farming systems. Throughout this part of Fife you can see the Dutch influence in the pantiles of the fishing villages in the region. St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company have their own family herd of Friesans and make traditional clothbound wheels are matured and sold as they would have been with no added flavours or additives. Bold distinctive rich hard cheeses naturally vary in colour according to the season. Available online & retail through many good farmshops & delis.

In Scotland cheesemaking would have been an everyday event but thanks to the Clearances they were decimated. Add two world wars and small-scale cheese production virtually vanished. There are a few working with traditional recipes, natural ingredients, unpasteurized milk and traditional rennet to successfully bring back these traditional skills and flavours that so enrich our environment.

http://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/fife-farmhouse-cheese/

photo: Wendy Barrie