Cheese 101: What is a Cheesemonger?

By simple definition, a cheesemonger is a person who buys cheese from the dairy farmer and sells it to the consumer.

In my case, the cheese comes to me via a distributor and I “tend” the cheese until it is sold. With more fragile cheeses, I am also the person who takes care of the cheese and protects its quality and atmosphere. I determine if the cheese has become too ripe to sell and/or its quality has been compromised by other factors. Because I work at a high-volume cheese kiosk, our turnover is quick and little cheese is lost due to compromise of quality and/or other factors.

When searching for a trust-worthy cheesemonger here are a few tips:

1. A cheesemonger should be knowledgeable and approachable. Too often “experts” in any field can become a bit snotty and snooty about what they know. This creates an intimidation factor that is most unnecessary and unappealing. In the old days when I went into Murray’s Cheese Shop in the Village, I was afraid to ask questions. Most of the cheesemongers were old guys who didn’t have time for the novice cheese hound. The last couple of times I have been in Manhattan I have seen a drastic change there. Now the counter is filled with younger cheesemongers who are passionate and love to “talk cheese”. That’s the way I think a cheese shop should be. That’s the way my cheese kiosk is… we love our customers (granted, some more than others… as with most things in life…)
2. Your cheesemonger should encourage you to sample cheeses before you try them. At our kiosk we sample at least two cheeses every day. However, any cheese we cut and wrap can be sampled by the customer. When you’re asking someone to pay north of twenty bucks a pound for cheese, a small sample is little to ask in building a customer for life. A local Portland cheese shop, Steve’s, in the Nob Hill District is both approachable and the times I have been there, Steve and his staff have offered samples; once even giving me an unsolicited sample of a cheese they had just received and were preparing for their case. On the opposite side of the coin, in my opinion the cheesemonger at a small shop in NW Portland is quite uppity. The last time I was there and asked for a sample of a Fiscalini cheddar, the woman behind the counter was downright annoyed. The sliver she gave as a sample was almost tasteless because it was so tiny.

When buying cheese consider these points:

1. Is the cheese shop/kiosk clean and well-maintained? If not, then consider another cheese source.
2. Cheese selection: More is not necessarily better. Consider the quality of the cheeses offered over the quantity.
3. The health of the cheese. Cheese is alive and therefore should look, smell and taste healthy. Especially with softer cheeses, consider the smell; too ripe will smell overly ammoniated and taste bitter. Also look for overly dry cheese which comes from improper care and wrapping. Mold, while not bad and normally requires simple trimming, should not be present. Moldy cheese on display reflects a lack of care on the part of the cheesemonger. (We do a “mold patrol” as part of our daily kiosk maintenance.)
4. Refrigeration? Most cheese, depending on the type, stores best at 40-60° (F). Softer cheeses should be refrigerated while harder cheeses can be stored/displayed at room temperature for extended periods of time. At our kiosk we display Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, Asiago and Pecorino Romano at room temperature during store hours and refrigerate it each night. Whole wheels of low-moisture cheeses are displayed for extended periods of time (with rotating and flipping for quality assurance).
5. Other offerings. Although not necessary, it is a plus if your cheese shop/kiosk offers foods that compliment your cheese selections. At our kiosk we offer spreads/preserves, crackers, nuts, olives, dried fruits, charcuterie, pickles and other goodies that go well with cheese.
6. Cost. Cheese can be expensive. It takes about 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese. While you don’t want to over-pay; you also should not necessarily look for the cheapest place to buy cheese. Consider cost along with all of the other tips I have listed here when finding a cheesemonger that you trust.

 And a final suggestion:

Track the cheeses you try. We offer a cheese tasting notes book (free from our cheese distributor) to journal the cheeses you taste and your thoughts about them. That way you can refer to your own notes when you come across cheeses a second time. You may find that a domestic Gruyere tastes differently than an imported Gruyere. This is information you might want at a later date. You can also keep track of what cheeses and wines and beers pair well for you.

Up next: Starting with the source: Got Milk…

Sartori Bellavitano and Asiago Cheeses

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The Lady began selling three cheeses this week from Sartori and brought home samples for your favorite Feline Foodie (that would be me) to sample and review. The Lady reminded me that Sartori was one of the hosts of the Cheese Reception the first night she spent in Wisconsin when she went to make cheese for Kroger.

First up:

Sartori Bellavitano Gold:

Wow, this is one nice cheese. It tastes like a combination of Cheddar and Parmesan – a perfect balance in my book. At room temperature this cheese is creamy and the flavor just pops out and grabs your taste buds and doesn’t let go. Crafted in Wisconsin by Master Cheesemakers, Bellavitano Gold is an addition to your cheese board that’s sure to please even the pickiest guests.

I give Sartori Bellavitano Gold 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: On a cheese board with cashews and a selection of fruits such as pears and apples. You might also spread a little Dijon Mustard on it and serve with 34° Crispbread Sesame Crackers. You could also add a couple chunks of this to your homemade Marinara sauce and kick it up a couple of notches.

Wine Pairings: 14 Hands Merlot.

Beer Pairings: Sand Creek English Style Special Ale

Sartori Rosemary and Olive Oil Asiago:

This cheese was milder than the Bellavitano Gold but the addition of the rosemary and olive oil added a nice edge to the cheese. It was nutty with a pungent aroma.

I give Rosemary and Olive oil Asiago 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: Again, this cheese would go well on a cheese board with nuts and dried cranberries. I would also add this to a minestrone soup recipe to give it another flavor level.

Wine Pairings: Shypoke’s 2007 Napa valley Charbono

Beer Pairings: Oregon Nut Brown Ale

And last, BUT certainly not least:

Bellavitano Gold with Pepper:

The outside of this sublime cheese is rubbed with lots of cracked pepper and the additional taste makes an already great cheese even better.

I give the Bellavitano Gold with Pepper 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestion: The Lady paired this with Beecher’s Original Crackers and the combination made The Man swoon; not literally but you get the idea… The Lady added a few green grapes and the cheese board was perfect.

Wine Pairings: Charles Shaw Shiraz (which won a double gold medal in 2002 – besting 2300 other reds) aka “Two Buck Chuck” – a great table wine from California’s Bronco Wine Company and Fred Franzia and sold exclusively at Trader Joes.

Beer Pairing: Washington State’s Anacortes Brewery Imperial Fresh Hop Rye Pale Ale.