No, this isn't going to be about late night dirty movies (I hope you're not too disappointed!) "Blue at eleven o'clock" was the initial instruction given to those of us attending a French cheese tasting a couple of weeks ago. Before trying each cheese a cheesemaker spoke about it, explaining where it came from, how it was made and various other details. On our plate were six cheeses and "blue at eleven" was to make sure we tasted in the correct order.
This was the first formal cheese tasting I ever attended and rather than give you a blow by blow or rather bite by bite account, I have compiled some of what I learned into a mini quiz for your entertainment and edification. Answers are in the first comment.
1. "Cheese is the heart beat of France"
A. Mais oui!
B. Non, c'est la folie
2. Ossau-Iraty is:
A. A marriage of two cheeses Ossau and Iraty
B. Named after a famous Basque statesman
3. The best milk for Camembert comes from:
A. Summer
B. Spring or Fall
4. There are 700 producers of Camembert
A. True
B. False
5. Pont l´Evêque is similar to Camembert, but comes in a square box
A. True
B. False
6. "double creme" cheese is:
A. 70% fat
B. 60% fat
7. The blue in Roquefort comes from:
A. An injection into the cheese
B. Loaves of bread
8. Bleu d'Auvergne is older than Roquefort:
A. Non, non, non!
B. Depends on who you talk to
C. Maybe, but who cares? It's so darn good.
FOOD & DRINK + CHEESE + FRANCE
