Christmas cheese?

Snowbell Noel™ Cheese

Type: Semi-soft, cave-ripened holiday cheese

Milk: A blend of cow’s and goat’s milk

Appearance:

Snowbell Noel is shaped like a small, plump bell—about the size of a large orange—with a snowy white, edible rind dusted in crushed, freeze-dried cranberry powder. Thin ribbons of green rosemary ash spiral around the outside like garlands.

Texture:

Inside, the cheese is pale ivory and marbled with tiny ruby specks of candied cranberry. The paste is supple and creamy near the rind but becomes luxuriously gooey at room temperature, almost like a Christmas fondue wrapped in its own rind.

Aroma:

A gentle mix of winter herbs, warm cream, and a hint of citrus zest. When cut open, it releases a cozy aroma reminiscent of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine steam.

Flavor:

First taste: Mild creaminess with a whisper of goat-milk tang

Mid-notes: Savory rosemary, subtle pine, and a warming hint of nutmeg

Finish: A gently sweet, fruity sparkle from the candied cranberries and a soft orange-zest brightness

The flavor profile is deliberately engineered to taste like a cheese plate and holiday dessert in one bite.

How it’s made:

The milk is infused with a slow-steeped blend of winter herbs (rosemary, bay, juniper) before culturing. During curd formation, tiny pieces of crystallized cranberry are folded in. After shaping, the cheese is dusted in cranberry powder and wrapped loosely in spruce bark strips to age for a month in cool, humid cellars.

How to serve it:

Let it warm on the table until it becomes spoonably soft.

Pair with warm gingerbread slices or toasted brioche.

Perfect with a spiced cider, a sweet Riesling, or hot chocolate (yes, shockingly good).

Optional holiday tradition:

Tap the top gently with a spoon - its “bell” shape gives off a satisfying soft thunk, signalling that Christmas can officially begin.

Dragon's Breath

Native to the craggy, volcanic mountain ranges of the Ignilid people, this black cheese is a popular and potent delicacy. Visually, it is a striking, deep, matte black, its colour coming from a unique local fungus called Izoret. The surface is uneven and gnarled, like cooled obsidian.

The aroma is intense, reminiscent of a damp, volcanic mine - initially pungent and smoky, with a surprising hint of sweetness.

When served young, the cheese has a firm but creamy, slightly rubbery texture. With age, it hardens into a dense, crumbly stone, becoming increasingly sharp.

The initial taste is a powerful, sharp hit of intense, earthy flavour, quickly followed by a numbing, tingling sensation. Hints of charcoal, brine and a whisper of mountain herbs linger on the tongue.

Traditionally made from the milk of large, domesticated mountain bats, some producers now use goat or cow milk. The Izoret fungus is intentionally cultivated on the wheel, producing a natural antibiotic that allows for long-term storage, making it ideal for travellers and adventurers.

Consuming a large enough quantity can cause temporary paralysis, so it is only for the most seasoned connoisseurs.