Shaped like a small wheel with a soft orange rind, it had a beautiful logo and a simple but intriguing name: Lepasuitsu juust, meaning alder-smoked cheese.
Unfortunately, since there was no fridge in my Tartu-Annelinn hotel room, the beautiful cheese kept on ripening in the summery september weather. The following week, I took it to Tallinn with me.
By now, transportation to Canada was out of the question. My schedule in Tallinn did not allow any more food-store shopping. So I opened the transparent package and cut myself a wedge while it was still soft. Pretending I was Ted, I took a bite. While it reminded me visually of Canadian Oka, it tasted rather mild, as do most Estonian cheeses, which are more for eating rather than tasting. The smoke taste fortunately was also beautifully weak. Merely suggestive. Mmm, good!
I put it in the fridge where the taste got even milder but the smoke relatively stronger. And the cheese as a whole? Not as good as in room temperature (naturally) but still acceptable.
I believe the Esto alder-smokey eventually found a fine home since I mentioned it to the mother of my absentee host. She came after my departure for Canada and looked over the apartment at my request.
At this point I am looking forward to returning to Eesti (Estonia) in order to carry out my mission and fulfill a responsibility to my favourite computer guy. The situation is now tinged with a deeper sense of regret. My current internet research into this alder-smokey revealed a five out of five gold award at a German cheese contest the past summer. Argh! I love 'em and leave 'em.
In the meantime, I hope my computer-friend enjoys the bar of kama-chocolate which I am offering as a substitute. The brand ,,Kalev” is super-famous in Estonia and known across the country's borders. Kama is an authentic Estonian concoction: ground mixture of flavourful dried peas, barley and other grains commonly mixed into fermented milk curds and whey. Kama flour can be purchased separately and in this case commercially mixed into a chocolatey kind of bar.
I raise a glass to Esto smokey and super-kama!
Kärsaküla Fäts
