Weekend TeaRoom 11/6-7/10 NON tea interest?

[David R.]

HB, we must not have been far from each other the day of the eclipse in 1999. I was almost on the "line" in a field not far from the coast.

About cheese, it seems like you know what you are talking about : Camembert, Pont l'Évêque, Livarot (maybe Neufchâtel ?) for Normandie, Cantal, Roquefort, even Maroilles, Époisses and Mont d'Or ! I would had Saint-Nectaire and goat-milk cheese to have a good overview of the french selection, but of course there are a lot more (Basque Country, etc.) If you want the most extreme experience, try cheese from Corsica. But I warn you, theses are very strong, not to mention the ones with the worms in it...

Italian cheese is incredible too, so is cheddar.

From my own experience, to continue the parallel with puerh, conservation and "ageing" is a key element to a good cheese development. Avoid the fridge at all cost and don't be afraid to wait til it looses its shape and smells very strong !

For the anecdote, during one of my trips in Japan, I ran into this (not my blog) the first camembert with an expiration date 4 years ahead of me.

[Herb_Master]

Yes, I like St Nectaire and many other French cheeses - including of course Beaufort and Comte. Neufchatel on a couple of occasions (both times a 'coeur'- disappointed me, maybe it was 'trop jeune' but although very creamy did not excite my taste buds.

Sadly good cheese is hard to come by in British supermarkets and Specialist cheese shops with real quality are hard to come by. Farmer's markets sell decent British cheeses, and occasionally the supermarkets sell decent quality French factory cheese. Currently from the local Sainsburys amongst all the bland plastic cheese, and a few poor Camemberts I am enjoying a couple of gems - St Maure and Petit Reblochon.

I find the rind on the Reblochon particularly nice and a great contrast to the creamy interior.

[Proinsias]

But of all French Cheese my favourites are the Washed rind cheeses of Langres, Epoisses, Maroilles etc, and the sublime Mont D'or Vacherin which you need to eat with a spoon.

Ohhh, sounds good. Cheesemonger not too far from here seems to have it, I'll try and pick some up at the weekend, I'm hoping this is the real deal.

[Herb_Master]

I'm hoping this is the real deal.

It looks pretty good to me, though the photo makes it look too white, it can't be too young because it is already quite runny.

The shop seems to be a treasure trove, I love the word Cheesemonger, it has a certain feel about it.

I notice they have an unpasteurised Selles - I would love to pick one of those up - I used to dislike all the very very mild Goat's cheeses that abound on supermarket shelves and thought it was something to do with Goat's milk cheeses - until I discovered the Goat's cheeses from the Loire and you can eat them at any development stage that suits you. 'Vieux' can sometimes be a bit dry, but if he has one in stock that is 'Entre Deux' I recommend you to try it

[artmom]

Cheeses of the world. !

How is it to be in the U.S. loving Cheeses of the world, when the authorities won't let you import Cheese made from unpasteurised milk?

I find the difference between a factory made pasturised and a farm made or artisan unpasteurised is like the difference between supermarket teabags and the teas that many of us here drink.

My main source of cheese is ArtisnalCheese.com They do carry some unpasteurized cheeses. Also, we have some good local sheep and goat cheeses I like, right here in East Tennessee. I am not a "cheese snob;" I like what I like and don't worry about whether it is "proper" or not.

[David R.]

I'm hoping this is the real deal.

It looks pretty good to me, though the photo makes it look too white, it can't be too young because it is already quite runny.

+1

HB, a good Neufchâtel is not easy to find. They often are too dry and salty, or simply too young. The traditional and proper way to age it is to put it under a bowl for some time. There is also a cheese which is called Graval which is made from the creamiest part of the cheese and is between Neufchâtel and Chaource, the perfect combination one might say. Though it is not easy to come by, even for me who lives only a few kilometres away from Neufchâtel.

I could send some to you but your mailman is going to hate you.

[Marco]

Seems that we have got a lot of Cheesehats here

Most of you just mention French cheese here.
Oh yes I too could die for a real nice Roquefort
And I really like the alpine chesse from where I come from.
Oh and Italian cheese is great too. I like a good Pecorino or a Grana Padano.
And for those who do not like mozzarella - try the real thing: Buffalo mozzarella

If you want the most extreme experience, try cheese from Corsica. But I warn you, theses are very strong, not to mention the ones with the worms in it...

This one is from Sardinia - it is called Casu marzu - and I really would not try it - not for a lot of money!
<--- makes one look like this I think
For those who really want to know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CGseBM85gc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyL9Pn8kMZc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THsztggZ ... re=related
(it is getting worse from top down )

[Herb_Master]

And for those who do not like mozzarella - try the real thing: Buffalo mozzarella

I was in an Italian restaurant in Manchester about 30 years ago and after my starter and main course I did not want a dessert so asked what cheeses they had, the list was (to my preferences) uninspiring but did include mozzarella. I asked the young waiter (English born to Italian parents who had settled here after the war) what kind of milk is the Mozzarella made from? 'Pardon' he said - 'is it Cow's Milk or Buffalo Milk' - I enquired

He burst out laughing and said Buffalo scornfully, no but we do have some made from Elephants and some made from Giraffe's.

The owner of the restaurant came running over and admonished him, and apologised to me that they only had cow's milk Mozzarella.

[Marco]

He burst out laughing and said Buffalo scornfully, no but we do have some made from Elephants and some made from Giraffe's.

Great story. I would have instantly ordered the one out of Giraffes milk
It is the same thing when you ask in your Chineese restaurant "What kind of green teas do you have?" And the answer is "GREEN tea"