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    Ohio’s Own: Laurel Valley Aphrocheesiac

    One hundred percent of me wishes I’d found Laurel Valley’s Aphrocheesiac before Valentine’s Day. It’s a cheese, with (I suppose) a cheesy name. But the genius-ness of that name alone merits a place in the shopping cart.

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    Besides, the whole Valentine holiday is one big anti-aphrodesiac, so it’s probably for the best that the specialty cheese wasn’t part of the day’s hullabaloo. The cheese is packaged in a glassy plastic deli-box and sits at the bottom of the container in a lovely little heart shape. It’s based on Laurel Valley’s uber-creamy Cloverton, a cows’ milk cheese. The cheese itself offers a stark white contrast against a sea of chunky seasoning sprinkles across the top.

    As a cheese, the Aphrocheesiac is more spreadable than slice-able -Laurel Valley describes its Cloverton base as a soft, handmade cheese. In taste tests, it comes off like a dip or a soft cheese ball, with the richness of its foundation teamed with a classic combo of approachable garlic and savory seasonings (the ingredient list discloses only “spices”). It’s cheese for crackers. In fact, even non-gourmands would find themselves drawn to it. That makes sense, because the cheese is an… Aphrocheesiac.

    Laurel Valley Creamery operates out of Gallapolis, Ohio. It makes lots of other cheeses: Gruyere, Cheddar, Cheese Curds and even the holy grail of Pimento Cheese. According to website, Laurel Valley uses lots of organic methods, but isn’t certified organic. Local restaurants such as Skillet use its products, and it’s even been immortalized in a Jeni’s Ice Cream flavor (that’d be the Cloverton cheese, again) you can also find Laurel Valley wares at local grocers such as Hills and Weiland’s.

    The container of Aphrocheesiac cheese was $8.99. While that’s not particularly cheap, the name and accompanying fun make it worth the price tag. And there weren’t any leftovers.

    For more information, visit www.laurelvalleycreamery.com.

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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