Top Five: the best local cheeses available in Toronto

Our favourite stinky, small-batch works of art

1 Margaret Peters of Glengarry Fine Cheese makes Lankaaster, a firm, buttery gouda-style cow’s milk cheese that took top prize at the Global Cheese Awards in Somerset, England, in 2013. $6.50 for 100 grams. Cheese Boutique, 45 Ripley Ave., 416-762-6292.

2 The nutty, creamy semi-firm washed-rind Niagara Gold from Upper Canada Cheese Company is a favourite of chef Jamie Kennedy. A dollop of rhubarb jelly cuts through the richness. $8.54 for 100 grams. Leslieville Cheese Market, 891 Queen St. E., 416-465-7143.

3 Gunn’s Hill makes Beau’s Abbey Style, a semi-soft cheese that’s aged for 60 days and washed daily with Beau’s Beaver River IPA, a dark amber ale, which adds a malty kick. $5.29 for 100 grams. Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens, 60 Carlton St., 416-593-6154.

4 The oozy triple-cream goat brie is our pick from the vast selection at Woolwich Dairy, a small Orangeville operation that also makes tangy chèvre in flavours like roasted garlic and blueberry-vanilla. $10 for 200 grams. Pusateri’s, 57 Yorkville Ave., 416-785-9100.

5 The delicate fresh ricotta from Vaughan’s Quality Cheese has a slightly sweet flavour, making it an excellent choice for baking into a fluffy cheesecake or stuffing into homemade cannoli. $9 for 300 grams. Whole Foods Market, 87 Avenue Rd., 416-944-0500.