Humboldt Fog Cheese: California's Ash-Lined Goat Cheese

It is made from pasteurized goat's milk and recognized by the thin line of edible vegetable ash running through its middle.

The ash is for looks and structure, not flavor. What you taste is a goat cheese that ripens from the rind inward, so a single wheel has a firm, tangy core and a soft, creamy layer under a thin white rind.

Humboldt Fog cheese at a glance

Here is Humboldt Fog cheese at a glance, taken from Cypress Grove's own page, the cheese atlas and Wikipedia.

Where Humboldt Fog cheese comes from

Humboldt Fog cheese was created in the 1980s by Mary Keehn at Cypress Grove, according to The Cheese Atlas. It became a flagship of American soft-ripened goat cheese. The Wikipedia entry notes the American Cheese Society awarded it first place in 1998, 2002 and 2005.

Humboldt Fog is a brand-name cheese, not a protected-name one. The style comes from French goat cheeses; see chèvre for the French side.

The Humboldt Fog cheese ash line

The Humboldt Fog cheese ash line is a thin ribbon of edible vegetable ash through the center of the wheel, which Cypress Grove lists as the last ingredient. It follows the French habit of using ash in cheeses such as Morbier, and the ash has minimal flavor. It also sits on the surface under the rind, giving the cut cheese its gray-and-white pattern.

Humboldt Fog cheese flavor by age

Humboldt Fog cheese flavor changes with age because the cheese ripens from the outside in. Young, the paste is fresh and crumbly, with buttermilk and fresh cream notes, flowery and grassy hints and a crisp citrus finish. As it ages, the creamline grows and the flavor deepens, with a stronger taste near the rind.

A very ripe wheel has a thick, gooey layer under the rind and a smaller core. Rind types explains how bloomy rinds work.

How to serve Humboldt Fog cheese

Serve Humboldt Fog cheese at room temperature, and take it out of the fridge at least one hour ahead, as Cypress Grove advises. cut it in wedges so each piece gets ash, rind and core, and give it a thin knife.

On a board, pair it with honey, figs, berries, walnuts and crackers or baguette. The cheese board guide covers how much to cut, and a good starting point is 1 to 2 ounces per person as an appetizer. For drinks, Cypress Grove lists IPAs, porters, wheat beers, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, rosé and sparkling wine depending on ripeness, and the atlas suggests a farmhouse ale or sour; and the goat cheese pairing guide has more.

How to buy and store Humboldt Fog cheese

Buying Humboldt Fog cheese means asking the counter for a cut from a wheel or a packaged wedge, and choosing the ripeness you want. A firmer, whiter wedge is fresher and tangier; one with a visible soft layer under the rind is riper and gooier. Pick a piece that looks plump, not weeping or brown.

To store it, keep the cheese wrapped in waxed or parchment paper at 32 to 40°F so it can breathe while it keeps ripening, as Cypress Grove advises; the company gives an uncut shelf life of 84 days for a 1 pound wheel, so finish a cut wedge within about a week. The storing cheese guide explains why, and How to Choose Goat Cheese helps with the shop.

Humboldt Fog cheese substitutes

Humboldt Fog cheese substitutes should be soft-ripened goat cheeses with an ash look. Valençay is the French ash-coated pyramid and is a close match in tang. For a milder swap, use a bloomy goat round or a soft Brie for the creamy rind. For salads or baking, fresh chèvre works where you want tang but not rind.

What most Humboldt Fog cheese advice gets wrong

Most Humboldt Fog cheese advice repeats a few shortcuts that cost you flavor.

Humboldt Fog cheese ash is not worth picking out

Humboldt Fog cheese ash is safe to eat but adds almost nothing in flavor, so there is no reason to pick it out or save it. Eat the ash, rind and core together.

Humboldt Fog cheese does not have one flavor

Humboldt Fog cheese changes with age, so a young wedge and a ripe one can taste like two cheeses. Ask which you are getting, and match it to the board: firm and tangy for salads, ripe and soft for spreading.

Humboldt Fog cheese is pasteurized, but rind still counts

Humboldt Fog cheese is made from pasteurized milk, which matters for pregnancy, but the soft-ripened style still has rules; the pregnancy cheese guide lays them out.

Questions about Humboldt Fog cheese

These are the questions about Humboldt Fog cheese that come up most.

What is the line in Humboldt Fog cheese?

The line in Humboldt Fog cheese is edible vegetable ash, a tradition borrowed from French cheeses like Morbier, with almost no flavor.

What does Humboldt Fog cheese taste like?

Humboldt Fog cheese tastes of buttermilk and fresh cream with floral and grassy notes and a crisp citrus finish, and it deepens as the creamline grows.

Is Humboldt Fog cheese pasteurized?

Humboldt Fog cheese is made from pasteurized cultured goat milk, according to Cypress Grove's ingredient list.

Can you eat the rind of Humboldt Fog cheese?

Humboldt Fog cheese has a paper-thin edible white rind, so you can eat it with the paste and ash.

What wine goes with Humboldt Fog cheese?

Wine for Humboldt Fog cheese is a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a fresh rosé, and a farmhouse ale or sour also works.

What is a good substitute for Humboldt Fog cheese?

A good substitute for Humboldt Fog cheese is Valençay or another ash-coated, soft-ripened goat cheese.

Your first Humboldt Fog cheese

For your first Humboldt Fog cheese, buy a small wedge, let it warm up for an hour and serve it with honey and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Taste the core and the creamy layer separately.