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British Columbia's Verdelait is an award-winning hybrid of cheddar, Dutch gouda and Swiss raclette. Adding the sweet and piquant flavour of locally grown wasabi to this cheese gives every bite an extra kick. But in true Canadian style, the fire is kept politely in check.

Verdelait (from the French verre de lait, or glass of milk) is a new style of cheese created by Swiss-born master cheese maker Paul Sutter at Natural Pastures Cheese Co. in Courtenay on Vancouver Island. "I wanted to create something different than a gouda," Mr. Sutter says. "For me a gouda was too easy to make. I wanted to make something special." He explains that Verdelait is similar to gouda or raclette in process and flavour, and more like a cheddar in terms of its melting qualities.

Edgar Smith, president of Natural Pastures, considers wasabi a delicacy because it requires very specific growing conditions. The Smith family started growing it in the forests on their farm (Beaver Meadow Farms in the Comox Valley) about 15 years ago, discovering that wasabi loves the West Coast climate and wet soils. "Wasabi has a little bit of heat to it and it has a sweetness," Mr. Smith says. "It combines exceptionally well with West Coast seafood, smoked salmon and oysters in the half shell."

Local sake makers also put a spin on the classic Japanese accompaniment by pairing the Wasabi Verdelait with their own artisanal product.

In addition to the wasabi, this rindless cow's milk cheese is also flavoured with garlic and ginger. And unlike the wasabi served with your sashimi, which is made with just the spicy root of the plant, for Wasabi Verdelait, Natural Pastures also uses the less potent stem and leaf. Some of intensity is also lost in the draining of the whey.

The spice-wary need not fear when trying a piece of this cheese. You will feel the wasabi flavour slowly sneaking up on you, becoming most noticeable in a peppery finish. The garlic is evident immediately, while the ginger is harder to detect. The cheese itself has a dense paste with small pinholes and is creamy and smooth in your mouth, leaving a slight tanginess on the edges of the tongue.

And if you want to work for your Verdelait fix? You can chase down a wheel at the Cheese Rolling Festival in Whistler, B.C. Inspired by the tradition of cheese rolling in Britain, Natural Pastures donated wheels for competitors to chase down a hillside in the first ever Canadian version of the event this past August. There is still the entire winter to practise for 2009.

Sue Riedl studied at the Cordon Bleu in London.

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On the block

Cheese Wasabi Verdelait

Origin Courtenay, B.C.

Producer Natural Pastures

President Edgar Smith

Cheese maker Paul Sutter

Milk Pasteurized cow's (from suppliers that practise sustainable farming)

Type Semi-firm, cooked, pressed, rindless, aged 40 to 60 days

Shape 5-kilogram wheel

Availability

Toronto: Pusateri's, About Cheese

Barrie, Ont.: Cravings Fine Food Market

Guelph, Ont.: Chartelli Fine Cheeses

London, Ont.: Smith Cheese (Covent Garden Market)

British Columbia: Choices Markets, Safeway, Thrifty Foods

Calgary: Blush Lane

Sue Riedl