ALDI Now Carries a Cheese You Need To Try, According to a Cheese Expert

The first time I ever tasted Cocoa Cardona cheese, I was working on my first book about cheese, The Cheeses of Wisconsin: A Culinary Travel Guide.

I was researching cheeses in south central Wisconsin and I stopped in the town of La Valle to check out Carr Valley Cheese. It was there that I not only met innovative cheesemaker Sid Cook, who at the time had won more awards for his cheeses than any other cheesemaker in North America, but I also got my first taste of this memorable cheese.

So I was really excited when I recently strolled by my ALDI deli case and saw a selection of Carr Valley cheeses, particularly its Cocoa Cardona.

What’s So Great About Cocoa Cardona Cheese

Cocoa Cardona is one of those American original cheeses that doesn’t have a counterpart to any European cheeses—and no one except Sid Cook makes this cheese.

It’s an aged goat’s milk cheese that’s rubbed in cocoa powder and just a little bit of black pepper. The cheese itself is similar to a Monterey Jack with a little bit of a cheddar-esque bite—it’s mild yet slightly nutty, with a tiny, tiny bit of sweetness. The cocoa powder is unsweetened so the cheese isn’t chocolatey, per se, but the cocoa powder adds complexity, while the black pepper lends more bite.

It’s a cheese that I’ve served many times when I’ve made a cheese plate or taught a cheese class, and every time I serve it, people love it—even people who normally don’t eat goat’s milk cheeses.

At ALDI, a five ounce wedge costs only $4.49. Usually, I have to go to a specialty cheese store to find this cheese, and it typically costs $8 to $12 per wedge, so it’s quite the ALDI find. Besides Cocoa Cardona, I’ve also seen Carr Valley Mobay and Marisa at my local ALDI, which are also delicious.

How To Enjoy Cocoa Cardona Cheese

In general, I serve this cheese with just crackers or crusty bread and maybe some fresh berries as an accent. If you want to get a little bit fancier, add a touch of honey or jam, which is so, so good.

What I also love about this cheese is that it pairs well with both white and red wines, which is quite unusual for a goat’s milk cheese, as many of them are more suited to white wines.

Though I usually just eat this cheese plain, it’s even a good cheese to melt over burgers or sprinkle on top of steak!