Mainland: Natural Cheese Made the New Zealand Way

 

Sweet Dreams are Made of Mainland Cheese!

 "Age only matters if you are a Cheese", quoted by unknown. True enough, a good cheese can only get better as its ages. I can never say no to cheese. Whatever kind it may be, I can happily vouched that I have never met a cheese I don’t enjoy!

 New Zealand’s top cheese brand Mainland has always been a constant favorite in the family. A timeless trustworthy brand, Mainland has been crafting cheese for over 65 years with traditions proudly handed down from generation to generation. “Good things take time”, Mainland believes that there is no shortcut in the careful and slow aging of its fine 100% natural cheese in the year-around cool and temperate climate of New Zealand.

 The country offers an ideal climate where cows graze on sweet grass, naturally grown through plenty of sunshine, nature’s clean air and soil. Grass-fed cows are essential and key to the high-quality cheese that Mainland is known for as mentioned by Debbie Van-Niekerk, our cheese expert from Fonterra New Zealand.

 Cheese-making, an ancient practice, involves culturing milk with specific bacteria strains. Mainland is one of the last big cheese companies to make and supply its own culture, which is crucial in developing the complex flavour of its cheese. This means that Mainland produces richer cheese with greater consistency by making it the way it was made 100 years ago – through a natural process.

 Naturally, it’s the reason why we enjoy Mainland cheeses in our daily meals. Not only do they offer a beautiful selection of cheeses perfect for daily enjoyment, but these also make impressive party platters for special occasions with a few simple accompaniments. There are simply endless delicious ideas when it comes to serving cheese.

Fonterra Launches Mainland Cheese in Malaysia on New Zealand Week Gala!

Say Cheese to Mainland!

In conjunction with New Zealand week in Malaysia held at The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur recently, many honorary guest and invitees were also treated to the launch of Mainland Cheese by Fonterra at the event.

Fonterra, established in 1975 in Malaysia, is a market leader in the retail dairy sector. Leading consumer brands such as Anmum, Fernleaf, Solivite, Calciyum, Anlene and Chesdale is all under the umbrella of Fonterra, who also brought in dairy products like Anchor, Mainland and Perfect Italiano. A global leader in dairy nutrition, Fonterra specializes in a multitude of dairy consumer products worldwide.

*Picture from Fish Szehui

The event kicked off with a speech from Managing Director Fonterra Brands Malaysia Mr. David Ross.

“Mainland cheese was developed in New Zealand in the 1950s. The brand is built on generations of cheese-making expertise and today, it is trusted by people in more than 20 countries across the globe who rely on the brand to provide a range of great tasting cheese for every occasion.” He spoke in confidence that Malaysian will favor Mainland cheese due to its high quality standard and best tasting flavors.

The Mainland Cheese presentation by the Fonterra team announces the six different types of cheese from the range will be introduced to Malaysians from June 2013. The six types are Mainland Vintage, Mainland Tasty, Mainland Tasty Light, Mainland Colby, Mainland Edam and Mainland Gouda. Each cheese showcases a different texture and flavor, all carefully made and aged with precision. Price range for these cheese are between RM17 to RM20.

New Zealand Minister Economic Development, Hon Steven Joyce inaugurated the official launch of premium Mainland Cheese together with Managing Director of Fonterra Brands, Mr. David Ross and Fonterra Malaysia Food service head Linda Tan with a cheese cutting ceremony.

Here’s to Mainland Cheese!

Honorary guests and the Fonterra team

Members of the media and honorary guests were then treated to a huge spread of the six cheeses by Mainland Cheese!  A treat it certainly was…

Vintage Cheddar Block

The most intense flavored cheese among the six was Vintage Cheddar Block. Aged for 24 months, this dense and firm cheese with a slight crumbly texture has a deep rich note with a stronger salty finish. It is ready to be savored with bread or crackers and can also be served on salads or pastas

Tasty Cheddar Block

Tasty Cheddar Block is matured for 18 months, a little less than the first cheese, before it is ready to be savor. It also has a distinctive sharp and full-bodied character of strong good cheddar. Doubted as the cheese for all, it is great for snacking or cooking!

Tasty Light Cheddar Block

Echoing the Tasty range of cheddar, this one is lighter on flavor as it is made healthier with 30% less fat. Suitable for vegetarians, it is also ideal for Asian palate with its lighter but full flavored character.

Colby Block

This one melts like a dream, rendering a smooth and creamy mild cheese flavor. It produces consistent soft gooey melting texture with minimal browning, making Colby a great choice for just about anything.

Edam Block

A Dutch-style cheese, Edam exudes a soft, creamy and delicate flavor with less than 25% fat content. The rich yellow hue surprisingly expels mellow notes with a slightly salty finish. Use this on any cheese board, cooking and snacking. Edam is also good when paired with fruits as it has a slight sweet note as well.

 

Gouda Block

A special reserve cheese, Gouda is creamy on both flavor and texture. It has a buttery flavor with a sweet and mellow note. Gouda is perfect for snacking and in desserts.

An ardent cheese fan myself, I am particularly drawn to the Vintage, Colby and Gouda! Truly premium and artfully crafted, the flavors of the cheeses are really gorgeous in their own ways. Armed with a tagline of Good Things Take Time, Mainland Cheese makes sure that every block of their cheeses uses high quality ingredients, adheres to a strict quality control and douses with lots of patience for maturing process.

A cheese demonstration by Chef Firuz, a chef at Fonterra who creates and develops new recipe for the market, was next. He showcased two recipes of Mainland Cheese Tuna Wrap and Stuffed Mushroom. The Stuffed Mushrooms are delicious and will have you hook in no time!

 

With a heritage of 5 decades, Mainland Cheese is the leading cheese brand in New Zealand. It has also garnered many accolades for its premium quality and taste. The premium quality is due to the rich fertile valleys of New Zealand watered by pure mountain streams and gentle rain, providing a luscious grazing pastures of lush green grass while the pure fresh air and cool climate gives the cheese its unique and distinctive flavor.

Be sure to visit any leading supermarket in June 2013 for a taste of Mainland Cheese!

 

For more information, please check out website: www.fonterrafoodservices.com.my

 

*Stay tune for the New Zealand Virtual Re-Start Fashion Competition after this!

**More pictures at my Facebook: ChasingFoodDreams