Taste Before Buying Cheese

Essential Tips For Buying Cheese

Most Saturday mornings, my wife and I head out to our local Farmer's Market to buy local produce, Amish egg rolls for the kids, eggs, meat, fish, fresh bread, and some exciting cheese for our morning breakfast. This is where I learn about new cheeses to write about here on the Reluctant Gourmet cooking blog.

In the past, I've told you about my buddy Cheeseman Jack, who taught me a lot about cheese and how to buy it. He's now at his store in Philadelphia and is a little out of the way for us to see on a Saturday morning. I have Bill, who I may start calling Mr. Cheese, to help me find new and exciting cheeses.

For a while, my wife and I were really into Stinky Washed Rind cheeses, and we tried several great ones from around the globe, including some beautiful examples made right here in the United States.

Still, there are few domestic producers, but the number is growing, and some are getting so much recognition that they are shipping their products to Europe. This is hard to believe, given how much great cheese there is in Europe.

We are now into stinky blue cheeses, and again, there are plenty to go around. Today, we purchased a lovely Black Ledge Blue, a wonderful example of how a natural blue cheese is being made right here in the USA in Colchester, Connecticut, by Cato Corner Farm.

I'll tell you more about the Black Ledge in a few days, but today, I wanted to tell you what Mr. Cheese taught us about purchasing cheese.

Tasting Cheese Before Buying Is a Must

My wife wanted to try a hard cheddar-type cheese, so I asked Bill to suggest a few ideas. He grabbed a couple out of the case, unwrapped the cellophane, and offered us a taste. One was a cheddar, and the other a Cheshire cheese.

Both were good, but when Bill asked me what I thought, I said that while I liked them okay, they both had an aftertaste that I didn't care for. I couldn't touch it right away, but the taste was familiar.

I didn't want to hurt Bill's feelings by saying that I didn't like the finish, but if I'm going to spend $20 plus per pound on cheese, I better love it. Besides, he only sells the cheese; he didn't make it!

Bill didn't say anything and immediately grabbed another cheese, this time a Cabots Clothbound Cheddar, unwrapped it and gave us a taste. It was amazing, and there was no funky aftertaste.

I asked him if I could try the Cheshire cheese again. He gave me another taste, and there was that funky aftertaste.

The cheese starts out great—it really is tasty—but then I realized the finish I was experiencing is best explained when something has been in the refrigerator too long and has that "refrigeration taste."

What Was That Funky Taste?

When I asked Bill about this, he didn't confirm it but acknowledged that some people have similar reactions. He even went so far as to blame himself for my tasting this particular taste, which is ridiculous.

He explained that some cheeses, like the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, are much more popular and turn over quickly. They don't sit around as long in the refrigerated cases as some of the other less well-known cheeses like the Cheshire we sampled.

He said that cheeses are sold unwrapped on counters in France without refrigeration because they have laws different from those we have about displaying foods. He described how cheese is much more prevalent in France, so it doesn't last as long on the counter as it might here. So, in France, there is no chance of "refrigeration taste."

This made sense, so I wanted to know what would happen to the taste if I let the Cheshire sit out for 20 or 30 minutes.  I guessed that maybe the refrigerator taste would dissipate.  I asked Bill to cut a small piece for my experiment.

What happened next taught me something new about buying cheese. Bill took the remaining wheel of Cheshire out of the case, cut it in half, and cut an inside piece from the wheel. When he gave me a sample to try, I realized there was no funky aftertaste—none! Hmmm?

So, What Did I Learn Saturday About Buying Cheese?

1. If you are buying pricey cheese, make sure you ask for a taste. This is impossible if you are buying pre-wrapped or prepackaged cheese at the local market. The old expression "Buyer Beware" has never been more true than when buying cheese. You can ask to taste the product if you spend $20 plus per pound.

Don't be a jerk; ask for ten tastes and then buy nothing. Save those tastes for the big box stores, where they offer product tests at every corner.

2. If the cheese has an off taste like the "refrigeration taste" I experienced, speak up. Most customers don't like complaining. I know I don't. But it's important to let the cheese person know what you are experiencing so they can offer you something else or cut you a piece from an interior part of the cheese.

I can't imagine they like having to cut from the center since they'll end up with a bunch of little pieces in their case, but I say, "So what?" If you spend that kind of money, you want the product to be just right.

Now, it may be that the cheese is perfect, and you don't like the taste of it. Don't confuse that with an off-taste. The cheesemonger should be able to tell if something is a little off. If the cheese is fine and you don't care for it, move on and try something else. There are enough cheeses in most cheese shops to find a perfect fit.

3. Get to know your cheese person. I frequent this market every weekend, so I know Bill, and he knows me. He is learning what I like and doesn't like and makes a special effort to introduce me to new cheeses and offer me samples to taste.

The more I get to know him, the better service he will give me. Because I'm a good customer, he is okay with cutting cheese in half to ensure I enjoy what I buy. It's really an excellent way for this market to do business, and I reward them with my patronage.

Saturday was the first time he asked me if I wanted to know what was on sale. This is where you can get real deals for great cheese or any ingredient you buy. Stores sometimes purchase too much of one product, so they have to "move" it.

There's nothing wrong with it, but they want to "move" it before there is a problem. A relationship with your cheesemonger provides a much better opportunity for him to offer you these specials, especially if they know what you like.

So Saturday was a good day. I learned something new about cheese and arrived home with some great new cheese to enjoy and write about. I can tell you already that the Cabots Clothboud Cheddar is amazing. Look for a write-up soon.