Meister Sweet Heat Mango Jack Cheese Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid review. I have no affiliation with Meister Cheese or Costco. These are my own spicy opinions. P.S. I hope my sister doesn’t read this review.
Haunted by ghosts of peppers past.
This cheese is spicy. If you’re one of those spicy-food-snobs who is constantly scoffing that “hot” food isn’t hot enough for you, you should try this cheese. You will probably still scoff, but you’ll need to sip some water while you do it.
It’s made with ghost peppers, my friend. And while there’s enough creamy cheese to cool down the heat a tad, you will certainly feel it. Somewhere in your body. Somewhere. You will feel that heat.
Hot or not, cheese edition.
How hot is it? Well, I enjoy spicy food, but I’m not a sadist like my sister. She would curl her lip and snarl “that’s not spicy enough!” And then chug a bottle of hot sauce. But that’s because her tastebuds have a death wish. My tastebuds have a healthy desire to live. I had all the burn I could handle after eating a couple small slices. If you mix the cheese into something, it will be far less noticeable, of course. More about that later.
Texture
The cheese itself has a deliciously mild, buttery flavor. It’s soft cheese that tastes “young.” There’s a delicate, curd-like structure. I enjoyed the creamy, cool smoothness against the fierce pepper heat. Like the Meister Banana Pepper Jack cheese I previously reviewed, I loved the high-quality flavor and texture. Honestly, it has ruined me for cheap grocery-store cheese. Beware the ruin.
Fruit and citrus flavors
Now, there is supposedly mango flavor here. But I can’t actually discern it. I tried. Because I like mango. And I really wanted that. Honestly, I can’t taste it over the spiciness and cheesiness. Sorry.
It’s also not particularly “sweet.” I mean, it has the enjoyable milky sweetness of jack cheese, but not a sugar-sweetness. Or fruit sweetness. Not really. I also can’t individually taste the vanilla extract that is listed in the ingredients.
There are obvious pieces of dried orange peel, however. Those are quite prominent. Mine were dry and slightly crunchy, which I found borderline disagreeable. I don’t hate it. But I didn’t love it. Like hitting a speedbump while driving. I didn’t relish the jolts of stiffness in the tender cheese. The orange peel doesn’t have a clear citrus flavor, sadly. Maybe this is from the overzealous peppers. Those greedy, attention-grabbing little peppers! Tsk.
Serving the cheese.
I liked this cheese as a snack. It would be the perfect pop of colorful, spicy flavor for a charcuterie board.
It’s also great on a sandwich, especially if you are less tolerant of spiciness. The other ingredients dilute the flavor. It wasn’t too spicy on this egg sandwich.
I also grated it into full-fat Greek yogurt (this is Chobani brand) with some garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. It made a zesty dip for my potato chips.
And yes, it was still quite spicy, even with all that yogurt. But not too spicy. Just right.
Ingredients in Meister Sweet Fire Mango Pepper Jack Cheese
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Cultured Pasteurized Milk
- Salt
- Diced Mango (Mango, Sugar, Citric Acid)
- Candied Orange Peel (Orange Peel, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid)
- Natural Vanilla Flavor
- Ghost Chili Flakes
- Enzymes
More information from the label:
- Wisconsin Cheese
- Gluten Free
- Vegetarian
- Naturally Lactose Free
- rBST Free
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1 ounce and contains 110 calories. There are 8 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein per serving. This is a “less salty” cheese, with just 7% your daily value of sodium per serving. There’s less than 1 gram of sugar per serving, and 15% your daily value of calcium.
Price and Servings
My one-pound block cost $6.99 at my local Costco. Per serving, that is 44 cents. Compared to other Costco specialty cheeses, this one is a superb value.
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my cheese allowed approximately 6 months to consume unopened.
After opening, Martha Stewart recommends eating semi-hard cheeses within 2-3 weeks.
Dramatic Conclusion
It’s spicy. It’s as spicy as I would ever want my cheese to be. For die-hard spicy food enthusiasts, this cheese will at least be tolerated with a haughty sniff. If, however, you are hoping for fruity-citrus sweetness, you may be disappointed, as those flavors don’t stand out. It’s a versatile cheese for sandwiches, recipes, and snacking. This is a memorable cheese to add to your next charcuterie. Just warn your guests, maybe.
The End.
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Check out these other cheesy reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. That’s fine, too:
