✍🏻 Written by: Michelle Webb

In the world of cheese, first impressions are rarely accurate. Take Belper Knolle, for instance—a tiny black sphere that looks more like something you’d find in a witch’s pantry than in a cheese case. Wrapped in rustic paper and twine, it’s charming enough, but you’re still not quite sure it’s edible.

I assumed it was a truffle cheese—because wouldn’t you? It’s round. It’s dark. I’d heard you could shave it over a dish like a truffle. I braced myself for that earthy musk and culinary drama.

But what I got instead was—Cacio e Pepe.

Not literally, of course. But the flavor was unmistakable: sharp cheese, black pepper, salt, and that craveable savoriness that coats your tongue and keeps you coming back. Like someone had distilled the Roman classic down to its essence and tucked it inside a cheese ball.

Cacio e Pepe is one of those dishes that feels like a magic trick. Pecorino, black pepper, and pasta water somehow become something far greater than the sum of their parts. Salty, creamy (without cream), assertive but elegant. It’s comfort food with a spine.

Belper Knolle hits many of the same notes: intense salinity, aged cheese depth, and a heavy black pepper kick. There’s even garlic in the mix—an Alpine twist that would scandalize a Roman nonna but feels right at home here. It’s not trying to be Cacio e Pepe. But it evokes it—and that was enough to send me down the rabbit hole.

So What Is Belper Knolle, Exactly?

Made in Belp, Switzerland, this raw cow’s milk cheese is aged for about eight weeks, then rolled in black pepper, garlic, and salt. No rind, no wheel, no visual cues you’re used to—just a dense little orb that looks like it was forged in a peppercorn volcano.

“Knolle” means “tuber” in German, which tracks. It’s about the size of a golf ball, resembling a very angry truffle. But don’t be fooled—there’s no truffle in it. No mushroomy notes, no oil. Just dry, hard cheese meant to be grated, not sliced or spread.

It’s a cheese that acts like a spice. And I love it for that.

We source ours from Caroline C. Hesse Cheese, a woman-owned distribution company run by Caroline Hesse—a total force of nature in the cheese world. Before launching one of the most exciting cheese distro companies in the country, she spent years aging wheels in a literal cheese cave underneath the streets of Brooklyn (yes, really—Crown Finish Caves was built in a former 1850s lagering tunnel). She’s a legend, and we get some of our best stuff from her—including a Nettle Gouda that tastes uncannily like chicken soup, but we’ll save that for another blog.

*Belper Knolle in the Wild. Katy Truss, Fabulous Food Finds, UK.*

From Belp to Brunch Service

At Wedgewood, Belper Knolle doesn’t live on a cheese board. It lives in the kitchen, where we treat it more like finishing salt—if Maldon microdosed and started grating cheese.

We first brought it in as a party trick—something to demo for guests or sprinkle over a staff meal. But once we started working with it, it became clear: this cheese wasn’t just interesting—it belonged on the menu.

Right now, it stars in our Cacio Verde Salad. Think: marinated zucchini ribbons, sundried tomatoes, focaccia croutons, and a creamy northern Italian cheese that melts into everything. Then, just before it hits the table, we flurry on the Belper Knolle.

It adds that hit of salt, heat, and funk that makes the whole dish pop. Even guests who’ve never heard of it lean in after one bite and ask, “Wait—what is that flavor?”

*The Cacio Verde Brunch Salad at Wedgewood Cheese Bar*

The Supporting Act: Salva Cremasco

Belper Knolle on its own is all edge, no body. Like any good spice, it needs something to balance it—or risk feeling like a gimmick.

That’s where Salva Cremasco comes in.

I was workshopping the salad with our cheesemongers—one of my favorite parts of the job. I had the Belper Knolle locked in but needed a counterpoint. Afton handed me a slice of Salva Cremasco and said, “Try this.”

Perfect.

Salva Cremasco is a raw cow’s milk, washed-rind cheese from Lombardy. It’s square, creamy, and structured—think Taleggio, but a little firmer and funkier. It’s not flashy. It’s grounding. Exactly what Belper Knolle needed.

The two balance each other out: BK brings heat and salt, Salva brings body and bloom. One hits sharp, the other lingers. Together, they taste like they belong at altitude—hearty, brash, and a little wild.

What to Drink with an Alpine Love Story

Pairing wine with this dish is about balance—but also a little escapism. The Southern heat this time of year is unforgiving, and frankly, I’m over it. So I’m treating myself to an alpine vacation—if not in body, then at least on my palate. The Cacio Verde salad is my Sunday ticket: bright vegetables, funky cheese, salty crunch, and just enough Swiss attitude to feel like a getaway.

When I think Alps, I think red. And when I think Lombardy, I still think red. The region is known for high-elevation wines that are structured, mineral-driven, and just acidic enough to keep food on its toes. So a chilled red fits the bill—firm enough for Belper Knolle, soft enough for Salva Cremasco, and refreshing enough to survive a July afternoon in North Carolina.

Our recommendation here is a chilled glass of Angelot Mondeuse, and it’s hitting all the right notes. Grown in the French Alps, Mondeuse has this natural black pepper snap and brambly brightness that plays beautifully with the salt and spice of Belper Knolle. There’s just enough grip to match the richness of Salva Cremasco, but the acid keeps it lifted—exactly what this salad wants on a hot day. We're pouring this special off-menu selection at our Summer Fridays tasting from 3–5pm on July 25, so come try a sip and taste how it all clicks into place.

Make the salad at home (recipe below!) and grab the goods from our counter, or better yet—swing by for brunch this Sunday and let us make it for you. Either way, your summer palate deserves this one.

A Cheese Counter, A Salad, A Moment

One of the best parts of running a place like Wedgewood isn’t just access to beautiful ingredients—it’s having access to the people who know what to do with them.

I never would’ve picked Salva Cremasco on my own. But that’s the beauty of collaboration, of riffing with the team, of trusting someone else’s palate. It’s also how we ended up with a brunch Bellini garnished with OG goat cheese, thanks to Aili’s slightly unhinged (and completely brilliant) suggestion. And yes—it works.

There’s a kind of alchemy that happens when you’ve got cheesemongers at your fingertips and a menu that’s always in motion. That’s the magic of this place. It’s not just about the cheese—it’s about the people who know it inside and out and are generous enough to share it with the rest of us.

And really, what more could you ask for than a cheese counter to yourself for ten quiet minutes on a Sunday afternoon?

Recipe

Cacio Verde Salad
A Sunday Summer Salad with Alpine Ambition
(Serves 2-4)

This salad is our ode to Cacio e Pepe—if it spent the summer in Northern Italy, got into vegetables, and made a few very good friends behind the cheese counter. The vinaigrette is from Julia Child. Togethery, it’s savory, peppery, bright, and green.

Salad Ingredients:

1 to 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, or a combination of vinegar and lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallots or scallions
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dry or Dijon mustard, optional
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 to 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups mixed greens
1 small zucchini, shaved into ribbons
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), thinly sliced
1–2 oz Salva Cremasco, torn or sliced into small pieces
Belper Knolle, grated generously over top
Sherry vinegar
Reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:

Make the vinaigrette: Combine vinegar, shallots, salt, mustard, black pepper and olive oil in a bowl or jar with lid and whisk or shake with vigor. Set aside.
Marinate the zucchini ribbons in a splash of sherry vinegar and a spoonful of sun-dried tomato oil. Let sit for 10–15 minutes while you prep the rest.
Toss the greens lightly with vinaigrette.
Layer in the marinated zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and torn Salva Cremasco.
Finish with a snowfall of Belper Knolle grated over the top. Don’t be shy—it’s the seasoning and the attitude.
Serve immediately with a chilled glass of red wine, a shady spot, and nothing on your schedule.

Cheese That Tastes Like Cacio e Pepe? Say Less.