KAROUN DAIRIES, INC. WINS THREE MEDALS AT WORLD CHEESE CONTEST
Asbarez
Friday, May 14th, 2010
TURLOCK, Calif.-On April 22 California’s Karoun Dairies, Inc.,
makers of natural handmade Mediterranean cheeses will travel to
Madison, Wisconsin to collect their three awards from the 2010 World
Championship Cheese Contest. Karoun Dairies, Inc. won two gold medals
in this biennial event, one for the Mykonos Creamy Feta in the Feta
category and another for the Panela in the Quesos Frescos category.
The Basket Feta with Sundried Tomato & Thyme also took a bronze medal
in the Flavored Feta category. The 2010 World Championship Cheese
Contest is hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and is
the largest international cheese and butter competition in the world.
Of the 77 gold medal cheeses from cow, goat and sheep milk classes at
the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest, Karoun’s awards account
for half of the gold medals awarded to California cheesemakers. This
year’s contest was the largest judging ever of its kind, with more
than 2,300 entries from 20 countries, and thirty states. Karoun itself
has an international story, as the Baghdassarian Family immigrated to
the United States from Lebanon in 1990 to pursue the American Dream
and a passion for the art and science of cheesemaking. From humble
beginnings to being recognized as one of America’s premier cheese
companies is a source of great pride.
"As a family business that is living the American Dream, all of us
at Karoun Dairies take great pride in creating and manufacturing the
most delicious, best quality natural cheeses on the market," said
Rostom Baghdassarian, company COO. "Serving the Mediterranean, Indian,
Middle Eastern, Hispanic and natural markets using old country methods
and family recipes, we are proud to share delicious new options for
a healthy and flavorful approach to cooking and eating."
As is evident by these latest awards, Karoun continues to set a new
standard for ethnic cheese and cultured dairy products in the United
States, with dairy products which are free of thickeners, stabilizers
and fillers, made strictly using only milk from cows that are free
from growth hormones, BGH/rBST, and Real California Milk certified.
Through their proprietary brands, Karoun Dairies services various
ethnic markets in the U.S. Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, European,
Hispanic, Indian, Greek, Russian, Armenian and mainstream American.
Karoun Dairies, Inc. was founded in 1990. Karoun is rooted in its
heritage as a family-run business started in search of fulfilling the
American dream through their history in dairy dating back fifty years.
The company has continued to grow from manufacturing hand braided
String Cheese for local mom-and-pop stores, to producing a wide variety
of Mediterranean specialty cheeses and cultured dairy products with
nationwide distribution. Please visit
For product samples, press materials, or further information, please
contact Jennifer Bryan at 805-962-1347, or [email protected].
Get a Delicious Start to Summer with Karoun’s Yanni Grilling Cheeses,
Add a Whole New Dimension to Healthy Al Fresco Dining
While summer doesn’t officially arrive until June 21st, now’s the
time to start thinking about outdoor grilling and healthy eating for
the entire family with Karoun’s Yanni Grilling Cheeses. Karoun’s
Yanni Grilling Cheeses (in original recipe and with mint) insure
a flavorful summer that you can feel good about is just around the
corner. All of Karoun Dairies cheeses are natural and handmade at
their state-of-the-art California facility, strictly using only milk
from cows that are free from growth hormones, BGH/rBST, and are Real
California Milk certified.
Grilling Cheese (a Halloumi-style cheese) is a traditional semi-firm
Mediterranean cheese, with a distinctive layered texture, which
is mildly salty with a rich buttery taste. Karoun’s Yanni Grilling
Cheeses can withstand a tremendous amount of heat without melting,
and will develop a delicious golden crust when grilled. Whether it is
served right off the grill with fresh herbs and summer tomatoes from
the garden, in baking recipes, or as a protein for a vegetarian meal,
Karoun’s Yanni Grilling Cheeses will become a summertime favorite
with everyone!
Simply Delicious Grilling Cheese ½ lb. Karoun’s Yanni Grilling Cheese 2
Tbsp. freshly picked oregano leaves 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 grilled lemon,
juiced Pita Bread, Grilled
Directions: Brush the grilled cheese with olive oil and place onto a
medium hot grill for 2 minutes on each side, or until marked. Remove
and slice into ½ inch pieces. Sprinkle with oregano. Drizzle olive
oil on top and squeeze the lemon juice over the cheese. Serve with
grilled pita bread.
Double Potato and Grilling Cheese Bake 1 large sweet potato 1 large
red firm potato 1 red onion 1 yellow pepper 1 red pepper ½ head
garlic, cloves peeled 4 Tbsp. olive oil Freshly ground black pepper
4 ½ oz. grilling cheese, sliced as thinly as you can
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the sweet potato into 1 ½ inch cubes and the red potato slightly
smaller (1 inch cubes) as the sweet potato will cook more quickly.
Halve the red onion, and then cut each half into 6 segments, discarding
any tough outer skin. Seed the peppers and cut into 1 inch squares, and
separate the cloves of garlic. Put everything into a 2-quart casserole
dish and, using your hands, coat the vegetables with olive oil. Season
with black pepper, but no salt as the cheese will make it salty.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and light
brown. Turn the oven up to maximum heat or light the broiler: place
the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the
very hot over or under the broiler until the cheese has melted and
turned slightly brown on top, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve straight
out of the casserole dish.
Award-winning family-owned Karoun Dairies, Inc. relies on over
50 years of cheese making experience to create its Mediterranean
Specialties line of natural recipe yogurts, Labne and cheeses which
are true gastronomic delights and distinctive in their fresh flavor
and wonderful aroma.
About Karoun Dairies, Inc.: Founded in 1990, Karoun is rooted in its
heritage as a family-run business started in search of fulfilling the
American dream through their history in dairy dating back fifty years.
The company has continued to grow from manufacturing hand braided
String Cheese for local mom-and-pop stores, to producing a wide
variety of Mediterranean specialty cheeses and cultured dairy products
with nationwide distribution. All Karoun cheeses are natural and
handmade using only milk from cows that are free from growth hormones,
BGH/rBST, and are Real California Milk certified. All Karoun’s Cultured
products (yogurt, Labne, Kefir Cheese and Sour Cream) are OU Kosher
certified. Please visit
For product samples, press materials, or further information, please
contact Jennifer Bryan at 805-962-1347, or [email protected].