Perrystead Dairy Madcap
- Pasteurized
- Thistle Rennet
- Age: 2 weeks
- Cow Milk
- by Perrystead Dairy
- United States
- ApproachableAdventurous
- SoftHard
Madcap is the latest creation from the mad geniuses at Perrystead Dairy—only here for a limited time. This teardrop-shaped, wrinkly rinded beauty is bright and citrusy with notes of fresh cut grass. A thin, gooey creamline gives way to a dense and creamy interior. These unique flavors and textures are developed by using cardoon thistle instead of rennet and a proprietary blend of cultures. The shape makes it stand out on a board, and the lemon notes pair perfectly with Akron Hibiscus Honey.
"Perrystead makes true American originals, and that's why I love putting a cheese like Madcap out at a party. It's like nothing else, and acts as a conversation starter. I get tropical fruit notes, which I love."
Allergens: Milk
- Perrystead chose the teardrop or cone shape so that the cheese ripens in a specific pattern at the correct pace.
- Fourteen days of aging allows Madcap to develop that wrinkled rind, thin creamline, and pleasantly dense interior texture.
- Using rennet from the cardoon thistle, a relative of the artichoke, to coagulate the milk (rather than animal rennet) is a hallmark of Portuguese and Spanish cheesemaking. Thistle rennet cheeses typically have a distinct tangy, vegetal flavor.
- Madcap, like Perrystead’s other cheese Intergalactic, is fairly unique in being an American-made thistle rennet cheese, as well as a thistle rennet cheese made with cow’s milk (they’re traditionally made with sheep’s or goat’s milk).
- Perrystead Dairy is an urban micro-creamery based in Philadelphia with a focus on innovative, artisanal products.
- It was started by Yoav Perry, who brings more than a decade of cheese experience to the business, with a strong knowledge of enzymes, bacterial cultures, and aging methods.
- Rather than make versions of well-known cheeses, Yoav is committed to creating all-new, original American cheeses using traditional techniques.
- Perrystead crafts their cheeses with milk from small Pennsylvania family farms, specifically those that let their animals roam free to feed on grasses and practice regenerative land management.
When you receive your cheese, unpack the order and refrigerate the items. We recommend using the cheese paper we send most of our products in to store the cheese. The cheese paper helps cover the items and stop them from drying out, while also allowing the cheese to breathe. Since cheese is mold, it's a living thing! If you cut off air circulation to the cheese, you can actually cause it to suffocate and spoil at a faster rate.
