Reddit Is In Awe Of Costco's 11-Pound Raclette Cheese Wheel
Sure, lots of us are big cheese fans, but this week, on Reddit, fans of one famously stinky variety are singing the praises of a truly ginormous wheel they scored from Costco. The happy customer, Redditor spam_likely, posted a photo of the giant 11-pound wheel of Raclette that arrived on their doorstep after ordering it online, saying it was way bigger than expected.
The cheese, produced by Mifroma in Switzerland, is sold online for $149.99 at Costco, which sounds like a pretty penny. However, that comes out to $13.63 per pound, which is reasonable compared to the $15.00 or more that you might expect to pay for the melted cheese at a street fair. The customer also said that Costco included a package of labels for resale, just in case a single household can't consume 11 pounds within its three- to four-week lifespan. Never fear, you can also vacuum-pack or freeze the raclette to buy more time — it keeps for up to six months in the freezer.
Getting to know Raclette
If you haven't seen Raclette before, chances are, you may have smelled it. This semi-hard cow's milk cheese is a staple of European-style holiday markets, where vendors melt the cheese and spread steaming portions of it across baguettes. In fact, its name comes from the French word for "to scrape." While the taste is rich, creamy, a little nutty, and undeniably delicious, the powerful smell can be off-putting to some, even drawing comparisons to sewer drains. But like many strong-smelling foods, all is forgiven by your nose once you sink your teeth into it.
If you're serving Raclette at home from this Costco bulk offering, we suggest you have a party so that your friends can help you make a dent in your 11-pound wheel. For best results, pick up a melter made specifically for raclette, and when it comes to pairings, don't limit yourself to bread — raclette pairs with lots of other foods. Finally, unless you're prepared to live with the odor for a few days, serve your melted Raclette outdoors (or have some scented candles on hand to burn).