If any of you are a cheesehead like me, the sight and aromas of a
luscious cheese shop probably bring you close to tears, right? Well,
weep no more. After hours of research and personal experimentation to
verify, there are now many options to choose from. So many, that I
recently had the strange experience at Trader Joe's of having too many
cheeses to choose from.
Here's my cheese journal of what works for me:
Goat or sheep milk
Cheeses made from these animals are
generally safe. Any specialty cheese shop will carry many of these
varieties. Look for styles of cheddar, gouda, feta, mozzarella, brie,
and blue cheese made from goat or sheep milk. There are two varieties of
goat cheddar that strangely don't agree with me (Trader Joe's and
Woolwich), so always try anything new on a day off, just in case.
Swiss emmentaler and gruyere
Unique from Belgium or French
varieties, Swiss emmentaler/gruyere is the only variety of emmentaler
made from raw, unpasteurized cow milk.
Parmeggiano reggiano
Yup, that's right - make sure to get
this exact variety, made with unpasteurized cow milk, and go crazy
dressing up your (gluten free) pasta again!
Raw, unpasteurized cow milk
I suspect this critical
ingredient is what renders swiss emmentaler, gruyere, and parmeggiano
reggiano lactose free. Apparently pasteurization kills the active
enzymes in milk that help digest the troubling lactose. Yay for french
onion soup again!
Aged cheeses?
While I've been told by several cheese mongers
that the aging process kills the lactose, traces may still remain, and
I've had mostly no luck tolerating aged cheeses. I've tried ones aged a
few months to a couple years, finding none that are safe. Beware of
relying solely on the "aged" characteristic to render a cheese
"lactose-free".
Happy tasting and eating, y'all!
