As you may know in my move to France I have been exploring aspects of the culture and the nature of food that is available. One of these ways has been to indulge my love of all things dairy and sample some of the available cheeses. When faced with a considerable choice it is hard to know where to begin, but well some methods just work rather nicely. In my case at present I am picking up one or two cheeses a week that are on offer or a block of it is reduced. One could argue that this means the cheese won't be at its best, but then there is always a risk that I won't like said cheese and so I'd also be wasting money. In this way I waste less.
Reportedly the cheese that gets exported from France must have a certain level of pasteurisation to normalise it. This has an impact on its flavour, but in France some cheeses are not pasteurised. Equally the level of mould on a cheese seems to be part of its character and not all moulds actually taste 'bad'. So the quote of the day has to be that "French cheeses only become good when they start to move by themselves". This was in response to a variety of Brie with which I had populated my sandwich... I could smell it through the plastic bag and the waft as I ate it worked its way across the office. The taste was fantastic, but very 'unBritish'!
Cheeses of note: (updated Nov 2011)
Goats cheeses (chevre) are popular down here and are usually very tasty. There is one particular one from the Carmargue region which starts very pungent and then grows a skin after two weeks and changes flavour, assuming you have tolerated it that long!
Emmenthal - a generally boring cheese to just eat, slightly rubbery, but very popular as a grated cheese for cooking and can be bought in huge quantities
Brie - Not just one type of Brie but a whole family of soft cheeses from tasty to very tasty and mellow to pungent. Brie de Maubert appears to be particularly fine ;)
Comte - medium Cheddar with a little extra
Reblochon - THE cheese for Tartiflette, see other post. Slightly salty, sticky and meltable.
Boursin - Creamy and tasty, for spreading on bread
Camembert - actually a type of Brie, this needs a little time to mature into a real stinker. Strong flavour and very good on stuffed mushrooms if you have little nublettes left.
Colomniers - similar to Camembert, not quite as strong flavoured.
Munster/St Auban - Sticky outer shell, matured for several months. Pungent sticky cheese that is quite salty. Not a strong flavour despite its smell.
Anyway I expect I shall return and add further varieties to this as and when I discover them. I frequently return to the Brie and Goats cheese areas.
The cheese course is also a rather good invention and comes either before or after dessert as a little enjoyment. The end of a baguette or a few little biscuits and a choice of tasty morsels is really a lovely way to end a meal. Not every day of course, but I appreciate it all the more when I do.
Well, A beintot and I shall go back to my slab of Frangipane I am munching this evening. :)
Reportedly the cheese that gets exported from France must have a certain level of pasteurisation to normalise it. This has an impact on its flavour, but in France some cheeses are not pasteurised. Equally the level of mould on a cheese seems to be part of its character and not all moulds actually taste 'bad'. So the quote of the day has to be that "French cheeses only become good when they start to move by themselves". This was in response to a variety of Brie with which I had populated my sandwich... I could smell it through the plastic bag and the waft as I ate it worked its way across the office. The taste was fantastic, but very 'unBritish'!
Cheeses of note: (updated Nov 2011)
Goats cheeses (chevre) are popular down here and are usually very tasty. There is one particular one from the Carmargue region which starts very pungent and then grows a skin after two weeks and changes flavour, assuming you have tolerated it that long!
Emmenthal - a generally boring cheese to just eat, slightly rubbery, but very popular as a grated cheese for cooking and can be bought in huge quantities
Brie - Not just one type of Brie but a whole family of soft cheeses from tasty to very tasty and mellow to pungent. Brie de Maubert appears to be particularly fine ;)
Comte - medium Cheddar with a little extra
Reblochon - THE cheese for Tartiflette, see other post. Slightly salty, sticky and meltable.
Boursin - Creamy and tasty, for spreading on bread
Camembert - actually a type of Brie, this needs a little time to mature into a real stinker. Strong flavour and very good on stuffed mushrooms if you have little nublettes left.
Colomniers - similar to Camembert, not quite as strong flavoured.
Munster/St Auban - Sticky outer shell, matured for several months. Pungent sticky cheese that is quite salty. Not a strong flavour despite its smell.
Anyway I expect I shall return and add further varieties to this as and when I discover them. I frequently return to the Brie and Goats cheese areas.
The cheese course is also a rather good invention and comes either before or after dessert as a little enjoyment. The end of a baguette or a few little biscuits and a choice of tasty morsels is really a lovely way to end a meal. Not every day of course, but I appreciate it all the more when I do.
Well, A beintot and I shall go back to my slab of Frangipane I am munching this evening. :)
I ate a cheese called Guyerer or Guryea (spelling is wrong I know) but I think it was a goat cheese that was very good
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