Gourmet Scientist - Cheese

St John's Cheese Tasting

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:16:00 -0400

My college, St. John's, has been propagating a string of tastings this year, and I have definitely been a big fan of it. A few weeks ago, we had a tea tasting with a Cambridge graduate who returned to open a tea shop carrying teas from all over the world. It was definitely a first for me, and I enjoyed it very much.

Tonight, we had a cheese tasting of 5 cheeses made by small local regional English farms:

Sharpham Rustic (South Devon) -- Made from Jersey cows and aged for 6-8 weeks. It's a very creamy, soft, and mild-flavored Brie that spread almost like butter. I didn't taste much of the metallickiness that I find in many mass-produced Brie, although it did have a slight bitter aftertaste.
Golden Cross (East Sussex) -- Made from goat's milk and matured for 4 weeks. Soft, more creamy than crumbly goat's cheese rolled in ash. It tasted almost like eating lamb. Unique and delightful
Wigmore (Risley Berkshire) -- Made from sheep's milk and aged for 2 months. Semi-soft with very very mild flavor.
Lincolnshire Poacher (Alford) -- Cheddar cheese aged for 12 month. Definitely has a sharp matured flavor with an oaky taste.
Suffolk Blue (Suffolk) -- Made from Guernsey cows. Very mild for a blue cheese without the characteristic sharp mold flavor and saltiness.

In addition to the cheeses, we had Miller's Damsels, wafer thin biscuits with a deep wheat flavor that dissipated finely and added a hearty richness to the cheeses. We also had a nice sharp Bramley apple juice made from Cheshire.

Overall, the evening was much more fancy than expected and extremely enjoyable. I absolutely loved the Golden Cross; and the Sharpham Rustic went lovely with the biscuits. Seriously, we are so spoiled at John's!!

Corrections to "Real Cheese"

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:36:00 -0400

I just got back from visiting my Dutch friend in the Netherlands, and I was reminded (as well as enlightened) on a few things cheese-related that has prompted me to provide corrections to my previous blog on cheese.

Firstly, what we know as Gouda cheese is actually just Dutch cheese. It is called either "Young" or "Old" in the Netherlands. Furthermore, Gouda cheese is not actually produced in the city Gouda; historically, the cheese was weighed and traded there, but it's produced in the regions around the city.

Secondly, who would have thought my friend is from the area that produces Lindberger cheese?! I did get a chance to taste it, but it wasn't a strong one. My cheese tolerance has definitely changed, as I found it acceptable. It seemed to taste a little smoky although no smoking is involved at all.

As for all my food escapades in the Netherlands: TO BE CONTINUED...

Real Cheese

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:36:28 -0400

Like many Americans, I grew up on American Kraft Singles and string cheese. Even in college, I still went for them at the supermarkets. Needless to say, the heaping mounds of cheese wedges and discs (not even to mention the smell...) displayed in Whole Foods, World Market, Fresh Market, Trader Joes, etc, left me completely clueless; and I would just walk by totally defeated. Smelling Lindberger cheese in 9th grade didn't help either.

I was exposed to "real" cheese a bit more in one of my nutrition classes (for which my group did a presentation and even made our own), but it didn't go very far. One, I wasn't accustomed to the stronger taste, and two, the ones we tried didn't even make a dent in the choices available. So, who would have thought I'd be digging into forms of blue cheese now???

I don't know what it is about Camembert, but once you've had it, you're hooked. Chevre is stronger, but just as creamy soft. It seems I prefer the lighter creamier types. Cheddar is pretty much a staple, and the sage flavored ones are good (altho the color might say otherwise). And gouda from Gouda (both young and old), is that much better than the ones you get in the States (isn't that always the case?? ). I had tried Roquefort, but it seemed a little too strong. Stilton was nice, tho a bit firm. The "eureka" moment was when my departing housemate left me a slice of Brie and some type of blue cheese.

I was hesitant, but after the first bite? Yum! Now that thought was a surprise. It wasn't until after I'd finished eating it and did a little research online before I realized that it was neither Roquefort or Stilton (as my naive cheese knowledge led me to believe), but rather Gorgonzola.

Truthfully, "real" cheese is good and addictive. Thankfully, the selection here is much more extensive than the States, and relatively cheaper, too. And, of course, my inability to eat too much cream keeps my consumption in check.

(Btw, mozzarella should come in the form of a ball stored in water, not just the shredded form found in US stores. A cheese enthusiast friend enlightened me on this, and several other facts (which I can't recall right now...))