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Earlier this year, Michael introduced you to White River Creamery—the Northwest Arkansas-based dairy owned and operated by Scott and Tessa McCormick. Around that time, White River Creamery had only just begun infiltrating the markets of Central Arkansas. Since then, White River Creamy has left a very favorable impression on cheese heads all over Little Rock. If you’ve had a chance to sample their product, it’s not difficult so see why. There aren’t many cheeses—local or imported—that can surpass the quality and freshness of their offerings.

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Recently, I ran into Blair Graves (who we featured in the past), epicurean and cheesemonger at Boulevard Bread. When it comes to cheese, she’s one of the most knowledgeable folks in central Arkansas. She urged me to stop by and sample White River’s chocolate fromage blanc. Well, I love chocolate and I adore this local creamery. This was an easy decision—I made my way to Boulevard with haste.

Fromage blanc is often referred to as “the French answer to yogurt.” It’s a strained cow’s milk cheese which is allowed to coagulate, then drained. It’s got a consistency much like sour cream with a similar tanginess. White River offers this plain white version as well, but I was after the chocolate variety. They incorporate cocoa and sugar into the mix, making for a sweet and creamy spread that’s heavenly just about any way it’s consumed. It’s very light and smooth—you’ll have a difficult time not devouring an entire container with your bare hands (actually, that’s not all that bad).

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We spread the silky chocolate cheese on toasted sourdough, we used it as a dip for pretzels and graham crackers, we slathered it on fruit. You’ll be hard pressed to find something it does not taste good on. Just be sure to give it a good stir before enjoying.c

Scott McCormack, head of the family and farm, trained at Vermont’s Institute of Artisan Cheese acquiring skills in basic and advanced cheese making. The time he’s invested into producing superior cheese is evident in all of White River’s products.

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You can find White River Creamery products at Boulevard Bread (in The Heights), Hillcrest Artisan Meats, Argenta Market in North Little Rock, at the Hillcrest Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and a few other locations across the state.

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