Kerrygold Ivernia

I recently tried a tasty Irish cheese that I had not encountered before. Kerrygold's Ivernia is a hard, ripe cheese made from the milk of grass-fed cows. 'Ivernia' is an ancient name for Ireland.

The cheese is aged three years and has a rich, complex and buttery flavor. Ivernia seems to modeled after Parmigiano-Reggiano and indeed the aromas of the two cheeses are quite similar.

Like all hard, somewhat dry cheeses, Ivernia works well grated over a green salad, pasta, soup or pizza. It is also very enjoyable with a crust of fresh bread. Kerrygold recommends pairing Ivernia with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti or an Irish Ale. Recipes using Ivernia and other Kerrygold cheeses can be found here.

According to the pricing label that came with my wedge of Ivernia, the cheese is made from "cooked baby octopus, red onion, celery, black olives, roasted red peppers, and Italian marinade." We'll assume that someone at Premier Gourmet made a mistake with the label-maker.