How to Brie a cheese expert

Know your Camembert from your Roquefort? The choice of cheese can be overwhelming, but if you let your senses and palate guide you, you'll become a 'big cheese' in no time, as Stacie Overton Johnson found out on a recent tour of France.

Maturing cheese. Courtesy Sopexa.

There are thousands of varieties of cheese in the world – estimates of the actual number vary widely – so it is not surprising that many people find tasting, choosing and buying cheese so intimidating.

However, Francois Robin says that if you treat cheese too reverentially and put it on a pedestal, you are doing it an injustice.

And he should know – he is one of only 22 people in France to have earned the title Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France – which marks him out as one of the best cheesemongers in the country.

“You don’t have to make a ceremony of it,” says Robin. “That’s important. It’s easy to appreciate cheese. The work has already been done for you. If you go to a museum, you don’t need to know the name of the painter. You either like it or you don’t. Cheese is the same way.”

That said, there are a few tips and guidelines that can make choosing, eating and serving cheese a more rewarding adventure.

Making a choice

When selecting cheese, Robin suggests starting with a popular, mild cheese such as Comté, the most popular cheese in France.

If that is too mild, try varieties with stronger flavours and those that have been aged longer, such as Stilton or Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you want even milder flavours, go for some double-cream cheese or goat cheese.

Once you have determined what flavours best suit your palate, you can start to experiment with different cheeses within those parameters – but don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.

“You have to experiment,” says Robin. “Buy in small quantities and take notes. Keep a list, explore with small quantities and try to memorise.”

It is helpful, especially when starting out, to visit and buy from shops that have dedicated cheese experts on-hand. In the UAE, stores such as Jones the Grocer and Galeries Lafayette in the Dubai Mall have experts who can advise you on your selections and let you taste before you buy.

“When you taste a cheese, take your time,” says Ligia Ratiu, a retail product manager at Jones the Grocer, whose dedicated cheese rooms offer more than 80 varieties. “Breathe in. Chew slowly and exhale through your nose. Allow yourself time to observe the flavour curve from the initial taste through the finish”.

Ratiu says you should pay attention to the external appearance of the cheese too. It should have a uniform shape and the surface and sides should be even, not shrunken or bloated.

Serving with a smile

Hosting a cheese party is one of the easiest ways to entertain at home.

“When you invite people over for a cheese night, that means they are friends,” says Robin. “You don’t do that when it’s formal. Cheese is easy – you just open it, put it on the table and enjoy.”

To make it a night to remember, Robin suggests serving up a variety of cheeses, ranging from mild to strong flavours and soft to hard textures. Encourage your guests to start with the mildest, so that the stronger flavours don’t overwhelm the palate.

When choosing what to serve, you can stick to one country or pick cheeses from around the world. For example, a French cheese night might include a few mild cheeses such as young Comté, Brie and Emmental; medium cheeses such as Mont d’Or, Mimolette and Pont l'Evêque; and a handful of stronger cheeses such as Morbier, Livarot and Saint-Nectaire. For a shockingly bold flavour, add Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne. With a range of flavours, strengths and textures to try, your guests should have no problem in finding new tastes that might become favourites.

If cheese is the main course for the evening, a good rule of thumb is to serve about 150 grams for each person at the party.

One important note: when cutting cheese, do so in a way that includes a bit of rind in every piece. Most cheese rinds, save for the wax around a Gouda, are edible and should be tried.

Another top tip, says Ratiu, is that “we recommend leaving the platter out at room temperature one hour before serving”.

Winning combinations

Contrary to what many themed cheese nights would lead you to believe, grapes are not the only food that pairs well with cheese.

“You have really wonderful spices and products in the UAE,” says Robin. “You have to experiment. Rules are meant to be broken. Sometimes good surprises arise.”

Cheese can be paired well with nuts, such as pistachios, hazelnuts and walnuts, he says, which “will bring crunchiness, and the salt brings out the strength of the cheeses”.

Mild crackers and baguettes work well too. You can also try dried fruits, such as apricots, dates and figs. Avoid citrus fruit though.

“Acidity is an enemy of the fats in the cheese,” says Robin.

A mix of spices and sweet condiments can work too. Try cardamom, za’atar and cumin for a spicy twist, or add some sweetness with pomegranate syrup, date syrup, honey or molasses.

Ratiu says it is important to find condiments that compliment the particular cheese you are buying. Jones the Grocer and other speciality cheese shops sell such products – such as balsamic vinegar, plum chutney, maple syrup and quince paste – that are already proven to pair well with a variety of cheeses.

Judge a cheese by its label

PDO, which stands for protected designation of origin, is a label given to protect the reputation and ensure the authenticity of regional products – such as cheese and olive oil – in the European Union.

Cheeses made using traditional methods in specific places are given the label to guarantee their authenticity.

“For example, a Camembert du Normandy can only be made in this specific region [Normandy] and with specific techniques,” says cheesemonger Francois Robin.

“You can trust a PDO. It’s a good way to be sure it’s authentic. Look for the PDO stamp – it’s yellow and red and it’s on the box or on the wrapper of the cheese.”

Sometimes, other initials are used in certain countries but mean the same. These include AOC (France), DOC (Italy, Portugal and Romania) and DO (Spain).

Stacie Overton Johnson's cheese tour through France was organised by Sopexa Middle East and sponsored by the European Union and CNIEL, the French Dairy Board.