Why Buy Cheese From A Specialty Retailer

When you are buying cheese, there are several different places you can get it from. You can go to your local grocery store, a local cheese retailer, or shop at an online specialty cheese retailer. Whether you choose to shop online or in person, buying your cheese from a specialty retailer will always be the best choice, especially if you value quality and flavor. In most cases, a comparable slice of cheese from a supermarket and a specialty store will be about the same price. The higher price of the cheese store is based on quality.

Unique Flavors

The first thing you will notice about a specialty cheese shop is that they offer a much larger variety. Instead of only having the most affordable or common options, these shops will have an incredibly variety, including specialty and rare cheese. Only this type of retailer, for example, will have a super aged Jurassic cheddar as opposed to a commonly found extra sharp one.

Freshness Or Aging

Another thing to remember is that specialized stores focus on selling cheese. This means that they will always have the highest quality and freshest options available. If they say they have fresh mozzarella, it is fresh, while the same won’t necessarily be true of a supermarket. The same thing is also true for aged cheese so if a specialty cheese retailer says their aged Gouda or cheddar has been aged for a certain amount of time, that information will be completely accurate.

Know What You Buy

Aging and freshness are not the only things that are guaranteed to be better at a specialty retailer. In fact, you will be guaranteed to always know exactly what you are buying. Supermarkets may mislabel their items, but specialty cheese sellers know their product incredibly well and are therefore able to catch mislabels instantly. That means that whether you buy in store or order online, you will be getting the exact cheese you asked for.

Knowledge

When you buy at a supermarket, you are on your own in terms of selecting the right cheese and knowing what you want. Cheese stores, however, will not only sell the cheese, but also offer everything you need to know about it. This means that when you get your cheese, you will know where it came from, how old it is, and some of the perfect pairings to complement it. In other words, you will get knowledge for free along with your cheese by buying from a cheese store.

Give The Gift Of Cheese This Christmas

Every year when Christmas approaches, we start to think about who needs to be on our gift list and what gift would be most appropriate and appreciated. For some people, this planning begins as early as July; for others, it doesn’t happen until about the 20th of December, or thereabouts.

For those we love—our kids, grandkids, parents, siblings, etc.—gifts are chosen with care, thought, and love. But there are a few people on the list for whom it is a little more difficult to shop, as we may not know them as well, but still want to acknowledge their contribution to our lives. These are people such as a boss or co-worker, hairdresser/barber, mailman, babysitter, or neighbor. Or maybe you need a consumable gift for someone who lives in very small quarters, such as in an assisted living or nursing home facility, or a full-time RVer. If you are fresh out of ideas, read on.

The Gift of Cheese

Cheese is almost universally enjoyed. Especially at Christmas time, it is available in a number of attractively packaged presentations. There are gift baskets that contain cheeses, crackers, meats, and maybe a bottle of wine. You can either purchase a ready-made basket, or create a personal one yourself.

It is important, however, to know the person to whom you wish to give the gift well enough to know their basic tastes. If they are teetotalers, don’t buy a cheese gift basket that contains a bottle of wine. If they are vegetarian, forego the ones with meats in them. And of course, if they are vegan, maybe you should consider a different type of gift. However, there are vegan cheeses on the market, so use your creativity to make up your own gift basket with the vegan cheese and “meats,” and a bottle of sparkling, non-alcoholic grape juice.

Cheese-of-the-Month Clubs

For someone whom you would really like to impress, choose one of the cheese-of-the-month clubs. These clubs will send your recipient a different gift box each month of the year. There are different configurations to choose from, including ones that pair cheeses with various accompaniments. Also, you can choose from different schedules, such as four or six months, rather than a full year. Of course, the prices will vary on the frequency of the delivery and the different item that make up the gift box.

Pairing Cheese Without Bread And Crackers

When most people start to think of what they will pair their cheese with, they immediately turn to breads or crackers if they are considering food and wine if they are considering beverages. While these items do go great with cheese, there are plenty of other options as well. In fact, a lot of the time, you don’t even need bread or crackers to make a delicious pairing with your cheese. The following pairings can work either by themselves or with your favorite crackers, making them perfect for those trying to cut carbs or follow a gluten-free diet.

Brie

Next time you are trying to figure out what to pair with your favorite Brie, turn to some fresh fruit. Grapes and pears in particular are perfect as they are tart and crisp, allowing them to contrast perfectly with Brie and other creamy cheeses. Another great choice is to add some of your favorite nuts as they will add some additional texture and help bring out unexpected and subtle flavors from the cheese.

Cheddar

As one of the most common cheeses, cheddar can be found in most homes at any given moment. Next time you run out of crackers to pair it with, grab an apple instead. This classic combination combines savory and sweet, which is part of the reason people serve apple pie with cheddar on top. You can also pair your cheddar with chutney as the texture and tang blends perfectly with the grassy notes in cheddar.

Gouda

Fig jam is the perfect match for Gouda and although it is slightly sweet, the earthy flavor of the figs help counter it. Meat lovers can serve their Gouda with a bit of Fennel salami, letting the burnt caramel flavors of the Gouda combine with the savory ones of the salami.

Gruyere

If you are lucky enough to have access to Gruyere, you have dozens of options for dishes. Try serving it with speck to show off the flavors and nuances of the cheese. You can also find some cornichons as their tangy flavor will help add flavor and texture to nutty and grassy cheeses like Gruyere.

Manchego

Manchego is another cheese that does well with a specific condiment, particularly honey. This will take rich cheeses made from sheep milk and help bring out their softer side via sweetness. Because Manchego is a traditional Spanish cheese, pairing it with other items found in tapas is a good idea, such as Marcona almonds, which are crunchy and salty.

You can even get creative and try any cheesy combination that you want. Mix and match cheeses, jams, nuts, and meats to find your favorite dishes.

Reasons To Talk To A Cheese Expert Before Buying

Buying cheese can be as simple or complicated as you choose to make it. If you already know what you like, then you may not think you need the help of a cheese expert. Despite this, they can still help you find a new cheese to try or help you learn more about your favorites. Cheese novices will notice lots of benefits from talking to cheese experts, and that is why most cheese retailers have them on hand. Even online retailers will either have an expert on hand to chat with online or include detailed information in their product descriptions. This description will include all the information a cheese expert would give you in store so you can get the same benefits.

Help For Specific Situations

Perhaps the time that a cheese expert will be the most helpful is when you are looking for cheese for a specific situation. Maybe you have a wine that you really want to pair with cheese. Or maybe you need to know which cheese goes best with a particular meat. You might even have guests coming over who you truly want to impress with a unique cheese. No matter the situation, a cheesemonger should be able to suggest a few options or at least a general category of cheeses that would work in your situation.

Narrowing Down Choices

For those who are unfamiliar with cheese, it can be incredibly daunting to try to pick the right one. This is particularly true when you are shopping at a specialty retailer as they tend to have an incredibly wide selection of cheeses you haven’t heard of. Instead of randomly picking the right one, you can talk to a cheese expert and ask for advice. Just be warned that most will not have one favorite cheese; they will have several depending on the type of flavor or texture you want.

Picking Pairings

Similar to their ability to help you in a particular situation, cheesemongers can also be incredibly useful when coming up with pairings. When you select the cheese you want, simply ask for pairing suggestions. They should be able to offer ideal wine, beer, meat, or even fruit to serve with your cheese.

Learning About The Cheese

Finally, cheese experts can help you learn a great deal about your cheese. Instead of simply picking one because you like it, you can know everything about it. Learn about its origin, history, texture, flavor, milk source, and even which cheeses are similar. You will come out of every conversation with a cheese expert smarter than you were before.

How To Make Naturally Smoked Cheese At Home

If you have ventured beyond the simple cheeses, such as cheddar and mozzarella, then you will have probably noticed some which are smoked. Typically, a smoked cheese you find in the supermarket will not be naturally smoked. There are actually types of liquid smoke manufacturers can use to add a smoky flavor to cheese. Instead, you should buy a naturally smoked cheese from a specialty cheese retailer. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also buy some plain cheese and smoke it yourself to save money or experiment.

How Smoked Cheese Is Professional Made

As mentioned, some manufacturers (typically mass-producers) will use liquid smoke to add the smoked flavor to cheese. Artisanal cheese and those found from quality retailers, however, will use a natural method. There are smokers that the cheese can be placed in and they will waft smoke over aging cheese. Many high quality options, however, smoke the cheese using natural wood. Common choices include alder, chestnut, hickory, oak, and apple, with the flavor of the cheese partially depending on the wood used.

Cold Smoking

If you’d rather make naturally smoked cheese instead of buying it, then one choice is to cold smoke it. Start off with any cheese that isn’t too soft and if you want the smoky flavor to enter the whole piece, make sure you cut the cheese into pieces that are 4x4x2 inches or smaller. Dry the cheese by unwrapping it and leaving it in the fridge at night, then wipe off the moisture. You can then buy a cold smoker or an attachment. You will then cook the cheese on wood pellets or chips for 1 to 6 hours, turning it once (or more), before putting it in the fridge for 1 to 4 weeks.

Hot Smoking

When you smoke cheese, it always need to be cool, even if you are using a hot smoking method involving a grill or hot smoker. Ideally you should put the cheese on top of a grate on a large pan with ice. Start up your smoker or grill and make smoke using flavorful wood pellets. Make sure there is plenty of smoke before adding the cheese and then check it every 20 or so minutes. Smoke the cheese for a half hour to six hours and let it cure at least a week in the fridge.

Using An Old Refrigerator

You can also naturally smoke cheese by adjusting an empty refrigerator. Put a hot plate in the bottom of the fridge with a pan of wood chips on top. Then add the ice to the middle rack and smoke the cheese on the top rack. Once again, refrigerate the cheese afterwards.