I’d read of fresh goats cheese in books but had never seen a New Zealand made one til I spied Over the Moon’s (OTM) offering yesterday at Moore Wilsons. Of course I had to try it.

It’s plastic sachet didn’t inspire much excitement at first but it had won a 2011 Gold medal and came from Putararu-based OTM so I knew it would be good. And it was.

Zingy with a definate bite, this is a simple cheese. I ate it spread on bread with a salad. It’s bright, white crumbly texture turned creamy on my tongue, and the lemony zing reminded me of cool shade on a sunny day.

Fresh cheeses are just that – fresh. Designed to be eaten within a few days, they are cheese-making stripped bare. Culture and rennet separate the milk into curds, which once strained settles into this ephemeral cheesy delight. These are about as simple as you can get cheese-wise.

Fresh cheese is young cheese – here for the minute. It bursts in the mouth and then is gone. There is no lingering aftertaste as you’d find with an older, more complex cheese. Eat them quickly too – these are are not designed to store.

Thank you OTM. This is a next exciting stage in kiwi cheese-making, let’s hope for more fresh, time-bound cheeses.