A guide to Cornish Yarg — the English cheese wrapped in nettle leaves. The story behind its name, its flavor, and how the wrapping works.
Cornish Yarg is one of England's most distinctive-looking cheeses, instantly recognizable by its coat of nettle leaves arranged in a delicate, lacy pattern. Fresh, tangy, and mushroomy, it's a modern classic with a memorable look and a clever bit of cheesemaking behind it.
What Cornish Yarg Is
Cornish Yarg is a semi-hard cow's-milk cheese made in Cornwall, in southwest England. Despite its olde-worlde appearance, it's a relatively modern cheese, developed in the 1980s based on a recipe said to be inspired by older traditional methods. It's wrapped in nettle leaves and aged, developing a soft, edible rind beneath the leaf coating and a fresh, tangy interior.
The Curious Name
The name "Yarg" puzzles many people, and the explanation is charming: it's "Gray" spelled backwards. The cheese was developed by a couple named Gray, and reversing their surname gave the cheese its distinctive, slightly mysterious-sounding name. There's nothing ancient about the word — just a bit of cheesemaker's whimsy.
The Nettle Wrapping
The nettle leaves are more than decoration. As the cheese ages, the leaves are applied by hand in an overlapping pattern, and they attract natural molds that help form the rind and ripen the cheese from the outside in. The nettles also impart a subtle, earthy, mushroomy, faintly herbal flavor to the rind and the paste beneath. The leaves are gently treated so they're edible, and the patterned coat is part of the cheese's charm. A wild-garlic-wrapped version is also made.
Flavor and Texture
Cornish Yarg has a firm, slightly crumbly center that becomes creamier toward the rind as it matures. The flavor is fresh, clean, and lemony in the middle, growing more mushroomy, earthy, and savory near the nettle-formed rind. It's a refreshing, tangy cheese with a pleasant complexity from the contrast between its fresh core and its earthier edge.
How to Use Cornish Yarg
Cornish Yarg is best enjoyed on a cheese board, where its striking appearance and fresh, tangy flavor shine — serve it with apples, chutney, and crusty bread. The nettle rind is edible and adds an earthy note, so it can be eaten along with the paste. It also crumbles nicely over salads and can be used in cooking, though its looks and flavor are best appreciated fresh.
Pairings
Cornish Yarg pairs with crisp white wines, cider, and light ales, along with apples, pears, chutney, and crusty bread. Its fresh, lemony tang suits bright, refreshing accompaniments.
Buying and Storing
Cornish Yarg is sold in rounds and wedges with the nettle coat intact. Keep it wrapped in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving. As a semi-hard cheese with a living rind, it's best eaten within a week or two of buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Yarg?
"Yarg" is "Gray" spelled backwards, after the Gray family who developed the cheese in the 1980s.
Can you eat the nettle leaves on Cornish Yarg?
Yes. The nettle rind is edible and adds an earthy, mushroomy flavor, and it helps form and ripen the cheese.
Do the nettles sting?
No. The nettles are treated so they no longer sting and are safe to eat as part of the rind.