Teleme (pronounced Tell-uh-may) is a semi-soft cheese made from whole cow's milk. It is creamy white in color, with a tangy, lemony flavor. The cheese is similar to Stracchino.
Teleme was invented by Greek immigrants to California in the early 1900's. Other cheesemakers in the region started to make the cheese as well.
Teleme is aged at least 10 days and sometimes up to 2 months. The cheese has a semi-soft texture when it is young. As the cheese matures it becomes runny and its flavor becomes more complex. Consumers can buy young Teleme and age the cheese themselves in their own refrigerator. If aged too long, teleme becomes bitter.
There are a few varieties of Teleme.
Rice Flour Teleme has been dusted with rice flour. This forms a crust when left exposed to the air. It is produced in 6 pound squares that are wrapped in wax paper.
The other two types are aged in plastic bags and are not exposed to air. The fresh variety is 10 days old. Aged longer, the Teleme becomes the softer variety.
Where to buy
It's easier to find Teleme in California than it is to find it outside of California. And even inside California it may be difficult to find. Many high-end grocery stores and cheese shops will have Teleme in California.
You can sometimes find Teleme at amazon.com. Other online distributors include foodoro.com. There is also a list of distributors of Franklin's Cheese.
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