Uncover the Mystery of Creole Cream Cheese
Creole cream cheese teetered on the brink of extinction before being rescued by a dairy farm in Mississippi. Mauthe’s Farms, nestled in McComb just over the Louisiana border, stepped in to save this unique cheese, balancing between ricotta and sour cream. Thanks to their efforts, Creole cream cheese can now be found at Rouses Supermarkets, and even shipped nationwide. This revival not only preserved a local delicacy but also breathed new life into the family business.
Renowned eateries in New Orleans, such as Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s, have embraced Creole cream cheese, incorporating it into their dishes like ice cream and gnocchi. This hyper-local ingredient has garnered praise for its smooth texture, hint of buttermilk tang, and subtle sweetness. Locals have cherished this farmhouse cheese for generations, enjoying it with a sprinkle of sugar or a dash of salt and pepper.
The origins of Creole cream cheese can be traced back to the New Orleans breakfast table, where it was a beloved staple. The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book from 1901 alludes to its popularity and provides a glimpse into how it was traditionally prepared and sold. Describing the process of making it at home, the book details draining clabbered milk in muslin bags hung overnight in a cool place. The cheese would then be beaten till light, molded, and served with cream.
Once synonymous with big names like Borden’s and Barber’s, Creole cream cheese faced a decline as these dairies shuttered their operations. The rise of industrial dairy production left little room for smaller players, leading to the disappearance of this cherished cheese. Fortunately, culinary advocate Poppy Tooker stepped in, showcasing how to make Creole cream cheese at the Crescent City Farmers Market, sparking a revival of this cherished Southern tradition.
It was during that time when Henry Mauthe Jr., the father-in-law of Jamie, stumbled upon the demo. “He was a native of New Orleans, and he knew that they used to deliver it door-to-door, and that it had not been made for about 20 years at that point,” she explains. Following some research, in May of 2001, Mauthe Farms began selling Creole cream cheese on the farmers’ market circuit, amounting to about 100 to 150 containers per week. Once a story about the family reviving the beloved cheese was featured in The Times-Picayune, they managed to sell 500 containers in just about 45 minutes. “I wish we had a video,” Mauthe expresses, “because our line was wrapped around two blocks.” Consequently, local grocery stores began reaching out to them, showing interest in stocking the product on their shelves.
Tooker successfully got Creole cream cheese acknowledged in the Ark of Taste, an archive of heritage foods from worldwide, curated by the Slow Food movement, which helped draw more attention to the lesser-known ingredient.
Today, Jamie Mauthe could be seen as the modern Cream Cheese Woman, with her cheese easily obtainable in chains like Rouses, as well as in other local shops in New Orleans such as Zuppardo’s. She is affectionately known as the Milk Lady and markets cheesecakes (made with Creole cream cheese) under this name. You can request her family’s Creole cream cheese to be shipped to your doorstep at mauthefarms.com or visit New Orleans to savor it fresh.
How Is Creole Cream Cheese Enjoyed? As mentioned, the product can be enjoyed simply with a bit of sugar or fresh fruit, yet it is versatile enough to be incorporated into a variety of dishes. You could utilize it in place of sour cream in dishes like Beef Stroganoff or Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Add the creamy cheese to lasagna for an exceptionally smooth cheese layer or use it instead of cream in dishes like Cajun Chicken Pasta.
