Satsuma Mandarins

Satsuma mandarins are considered the sweetest of all the citrus varieties though they do offer some acidity. Satsuma mandarins, sometimes referred to as tangerines, are a variety of citrus that dates back to the 14th century. n Japan, Satsuma mandarins are known as Unshû mikan and are characterized by their cold hardiness and early season harvest. Satsuma’s nomenclature is said to have originated in 1878 when the wife of America’s then Minister to Japan, General Van Valkenberg, sent Unshu mikan trees from Japan to Florida in boxes labeled of its origin, Satsuma, Japan. There are hundreds of named cultivars of Satsuma mandarin, like the Miyagawa, Owari, Miho and Seto, each with differing maturity dates, size, color and quality. Satsuma mandarins pair well with sweet and spicy flavors like soy, ginger, garlic, vanilla, honey, and olive oil, or eaten on their own!

Garrotxa

Pronounced ‘ga-ROCH-ah,’ Garrotxa is a moist and cakey Catalonian goat’s milk cheese. Crafted in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the flavor of the cheese is earthy, milky, and buttery, and it tends to have a brightness and a citrusy acidity similar to that found in many American-style cow’s milk cheddars. Garrotxa is most appropriately served with dry wine but also fruit driven white wines and soft rounded reds. Pair with mixed olives.

Fleur Du Maquis

Fleur Du Maquis, meaning “flower of the maquis”, is a Corsican cheese made from the milk of the Lacaune ewes. It is also known by its other name; Brin d’Amour.  The cheese is covered with aromatic coating of rosemary, fennel seeds, juniper berries and the occasional bird’s eye chili. It has a sour, citrusy taste and feels a bit mild in the mouth.