Expand your cheese palate
How to pick new ones to love (Hint: Sample a lot)
When I was a kid, if you asked me to name my favorite cheese, I probably would have answered “pizza.”
Eventually — like, very eventually — I edged my way into grilled cheese with American or even cheddar, but it probably took longer than it should have for me to appreciate cheese on its own and in more of its many delightful, wide-ranging varieties.
These days, I’m making up for lost time, and even though I’m up for pretty much any type from anywhere, I can still find myself turning to familiar favorites. Standing in front of an array at the local cheese shop can be as paralyzing as it is exciting.
But first, there’s nothing wrong with the classics: cheddar, mozzarella, brie and other staples. “They are delicious,” says Amanda Parker, managing director of Cowgirl Creamery, the California-based cheese producer and family of shops. There’s no shame in staying within your comfort zone, and you’ll find plenty of room for a little experimentation within those categories.
Even if you’re interested in expanding your palate, it’s easy to feel intimidated by the options and stick with what you know. Parker attributes that in part to the fact that Americans typically haven’t grown up with the European experience of eating lots of cheeses lots of times.
There’s also this, according to Scott Freestone, cheese and
charcuterie manager at Arrowine in Arlington, Virginia: “People don’t want to feel stupid.”
The good news is, you don’t have to have all the answers. Here’s how to pick a new cheese to enjoy — or let someone else pick the right one for you.
Know what you like — and don’t. Freestone says Arrowine has 200 cheeses in its store, so often the first thing a customer gets asked is what they don’t like. Eliminating options from the start can be useful. But then be prepared to talk about what you do like. If you favor a particular cheese, great. It doesn’t have to be specific, though. Parker says you can talk about whether you like the flavor mild or funky, the texture creamy or crumbly or the milk to be from cows, sheep, goats or a blend. Also helpful is talking about how you plan to use it: whether you will eat it as is,
eat it with a favorite condiment or cook with it.
Think about how to branch out. After you have your starting point, you can go any number of paths, according to Lauren Toth, training and curriculum manager at New Yorkbased Murray’s Cheese. You can stick with something in one family (i.e. fresh, semisoft, washedrind) by trying a new cheese with a different age, production process or flavor profile. Or stay in the same family but expand your geography to a different country or region. “Different countries/regions have different approaches to making cheeses, so try branching out to see how a different country does it,” Toth says.
You can also choose to explore the variations within one country. Lastly, Toth says, “If you like a particular style of cheese, look out for varieties from that family that have a similar texture but different milk type, which will affect the aroma and flavor.”
Sample, sample, sample. The best place to get cheese is somewhere you can not only talk to a person but also actually try before you buy. “If the monger’s not willing to give you a taste of something, you should walk out,” Freestone says. After figuring out what a customer might like, his staff will typically offer two cheeses to sample. At that point, no need to overthink. “It really only matters how you react to it in that moment,” he says. Do you like it or not? If you do, congrats. If not, keep on trying.
Remember that your opinions one day might be different if you try the same cheese another day.
“Cheese is seasonally driven, and artisan cheeses will generally taste and even look different at different points during the year,” Toth says. “That’s why it’s important to always taste the cheese when you can — even if you know it well. What you liked last week, last month or six months ago might not taste the same this week.”