The Cheese Board

[gradus]

We bought some Gouda with Pesto, a strong green colour and delicious. Afraid I don't know if it's Dutch or made in the UK, recommended either way.

[french frank]

Cheesemaking and choice in this country is of a very high standard now I think and British versions of European cheeses are likely to be perfectly acceptable alternatives.

I'm sure that's so. It's just my tendency to purism that wishes they didn't make 'British versions' of cheeses. But - on the shoulders of giants! (Erm, Lymeswold, anyone?) I remember Jeremy Corbyn - a vegetarian - saying he would be a vegan except for the fact that he couldn't give up cheese - Somerset Brie being his then favourite. But a New KId in a Block doesn't have quite the allure of a cheese with a renowned history, a Thing. And 'Brie' which isn't from ... Brie?

I didn't think a lot of Tesco's Finest Smoked Scamorza Mozarella tonight. I'm looking forward to Sunday breakfast with Gómez Moreno Manchego, black pepper Fuet and dressed olives, with fresh baguette.

[oddoneout]

Thank you for correcting my pronunciation . I was amused to read the story of how they decided to become cheesemakers: "First obtain a herd of French Monbéliarde cows." Several outlets very local to me sell it but I've always been too sniffy to buy an English Brie. Always happy to prove myself wrong ...

During my time at the Morrisons deli counter they started stocking Cornish brie, which attracted negative comment along from some customers who considered themselves knowledgeable, along the lines of "not proper Brie". The most vocal customers would then make a big show of asking for a wedge of President Brie and I would have to hide my amusement, knowing what a poor product that was. Over a period of time, helped by regular plates of samples,(and my recommendation I like to think on occasion), more people did start buying, and enjoying it.
Cheesemaking and choice in this country is of a very high standard now I think and British versions of European cheeses are likely to be perfectly acceptable alternatives.

[Roger Webb]

... sadly there is no Aldi convenient for us here (tho' on a non-cheese note, we found some excellent chocolate at Aldi (their 85% &c) - and I gather Lidl is good for chocolate too.)

But we have found that Asda is surprisingly good for cheese......

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Yes you're right about Asda....so different from the rather scruffy stores that Asda were, say 30 years ago - unfortunately we don't have one conveniently placed.....but we do have both Aldi and Lidl, both being good for 'continental' fare...including the chocolate you found in Aldi (maybe 'Roth'?). I do, however, miss market shopping in France for things like cheese - we often stayed between Honfleur and Pont l'Éveque, and to buy from a stall is a revelation if one is used to supermarket shopping in this country. To be offered six or seven different Pont l'Éveques, all aux cru, and to be presented with a sliver of each on the end of a knife before your choice is made is real shopping!

[french frank]

Having come home with a 250g round wooden box of Baron Bigod (apparently pronounced 'By-God' as it's so good!) ...

Thank you for correcting my pronunciation . I was amused to read the story of how they decided to become cheesemakers: "First obtain a herd of French Monbéliarde cows." Several outlets very local to me sell it but I've always been too sniffy to buy an English Brie. Always happy to prove myself wrong ...

[Keraulophone]

Wandering through Truro's Saturday market this morning I discovered a new cheese stall selling non-Cornish cheeses for a change, as well as local varieties. Having come home with a 250g round wooden box of Baron Bigod (apparently pronounced 'By-God' as it's so good!), the nearest I can compare it with is Tunworth (available from Waitrose), which Raymond Blanc praised as the finest camembert-style cheese. I reckon this BB is an even better brie-de-meaux /camembert-style pasteurised cheese. Absolutely delicious. Now enjoying with baguette and glass of M&S Morgon.

The Cheese Geek: 'Baron Bigod has an absolutely perfect balance between rich decadent butter, and smooth earthy mushroom. It is not sharp or salty like some Bries can be, which is crucial because unlike Camembert, the flavours are so much more subtle and can easily be overpowered. Eating Brie should feel like a really extravagant and comforting experience, and Baron Bigod delivers on every level.'

[vinteuil]

The range of french cheeses in Aldi I find pretty good...

... sadly there is no Aldi convenient for us here (tho' on a non-cheese note, we found some excellent chocolate at Aldi (their 85% &c) - and I gather Lidl is good for chocolate too.)

But we have found that Asda is surprisingly good for cheese - during a pre-christmas industrial-scale shop there I looked at their cheeses : a much more impressive range than our normal supermarket shopping (tesco, sainsbury, waitrose) - high-end cheeses, including some rarities. Whether we were lucky, and whether they had been buying in specially for the christmas season - but we were impressed...

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[Roger Webb]

Seeing this thread come up again reminded me that I had what I thought was a very good blue cheese from Aldi the other week........

The range of french cheeses in Aldi I find pretty good - although no 'Aux Cru' made from unpasteurised milk, which I prefer when in France.
We had a very acceptable Roquefort the other day....we have a petit morceau with a little glass of Sauternes (Ginestet, bought in .5 litres at the bargain price of £3.49!) instead of pudding.

Edit. And if you're in Aldi see if they have any Chateau Genlaire left, their Wine of the Week....we bought 12.... went back expecting it to be sold out...bought another 24! At £4.99, a snip.

[oddoneout]

Seeing this thread come up again reminded me that I had what I thought was a very good blue cheese from Aldi the other week. Beacon Blue is a blue cheese - obviously - but made from goats milk. The label says "Creamy, mild and sweet" and that sums it up accurately. The mould is free of the ammoniacal overtones it sometimes gets in blue cheese and so complements the sweetness of the goat cheese beautifully, an altogether more subtle blue cheese. It isn't a hard cheese but holds together well enough to cut thin slices to sandwich between crunchy romaine lettuce leaves for a 'plate of bits' type lunch. Apparently it is also available at Tesco, so I'll have to check that out as Aldi will only have it for a while I imagine - especially as the Aldi here isn't that big so is limited as to what lines it can carry.

[french frank]

José, chef at our local tapas bar, gave me a lump of Gómez Moreno Manchego to bring home with me, after which I was interested to read about it on the Gómez Moreno website (worth it for the interesting English). The piece I was given has a pale yellow rind (still with the recognisable 'esparto grass' pattern recalling the rush baskets that were once used). This type was brushed with olive oil. Pretty nice. (Yes, I ate the rind).

[french frank]

... isn't port-salut totally plastic and industriel ?

I don't believe most of what I'm told, so I thought I would try it. It was harmless enough just not ... choice.

(Tho' I did like, from that wiki page -

« Tu l'as trop écrasé, César, ce Port-Salut ! » est un alexandrin et palindrome attribué à Victor Hugo ... )

That altogether made the experience worthwhile. Mille remerciements!

[vinteuil]

No Langres at Tesco for two weeks running so I bought some vintage Gruyere and ... because it's famous and I'd never had it before, Port Salut.

And this concludes my review

Oh, should be clear: I think the Gruyere will be fine. The stuff from the Co-op is.

... isn't port-salut totally plastic and industriel ?

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port-Salut_(marque_fromag%C3%A8re)




(Tho' I did like, from that wiki page -

« Tu l'as trop écrasé, César, ce Port-Salut ! » est un alexandrin et palindrome attribué à Victor Hugo ... )

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[french frank]

No Langres at Tesco for two weeks running so I bought some vintage Gruyere and ... because it's famous and I'd never had it before, Port Salut.

And this concludes my review

Oh, should be clear: I think the Gruyere will be fine. The stuff from the Co-op is.

[french frank]

Yesterday I stocked up with my usual trio of Spanish cheeses from El Colmado - Cabrales, Valdeón and semi-mature Manchego, with a large box of freshly dressed Spanish green olives. So today I thought I would treat myself to a baguette from the Guild of Dough (three quarters the size of the Coop's, twice the price and incomparable). One really needs to buy two because by the time you get home one of them would have been eaten by someone.

[Sir Velo]

Painful!!

They devised unusual forms of torture back then.