“How can one be expected to govern a country that has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?” Charles de Gaulle once famously asked. Cheese was part of daily life for the French; they could not do without it, and refused to consume it in moderation. There were varieties to suit every taste: sheep, cow, goat; washed rind or mould rind, soft cheese and hard cheese, fresh or melted. Cheese became widespread in France in the 19th century, when Émile Duclaux, a disciple of Louis Pasteur, adapted the process of pasteurisation for use in cheese making. The cheese industry flourished, to the delight of eager French consumers. Of course, a morsel of cheese was often paired with a glass of French wine. Some held that only red wine, whether light and fruity or full-bodied and tannic, should accompany a bite of cheese, for this would bring out its full character. Others insisted that only white wine, either mineral or sweet, depending on one’s preference, could accentuate the subtle aromas of certain cheeses. These passionate debates raged across French tables, for having an opinion on the topic had almost become a patriotic duty.
“How did people get the idea to eat mouldy cheeses like Roquefort?” the apprentice asked his master.
“That’s a legend you should know. They say that Roquefort was invented through the carelessness of a naughty shepherd. This shepherd was out walking with his pretty shepherdess, and had left some bread and sheep cheese in a cave so they could have a picnic and…rest a while. When they got there, the cheese was covered in mould! But he was still hungry enough to bite into the cheese, and found that it was delicious. He liked it so much that he made more of it in those caves, and so Roquefort was born! But that’s just a legend,” added the master, as he bored into a great wheel of tomme de Thones.
“When will this batch be mature?”
“There’s only one way to tell! Here, take piece and tell me what you taste.”
The apprentice took a sliver of the tomme and placed it on his tongue. He waited a few moments, under his master’s attentive gaze.
“Well?” asked the master.
“It’s quite creamy still.”
“And the rind? What do you think?”
“Still quite brown, isn’t it? The mould hasn’t gone white yet.”
“That’s a sign to tell you that it needs to spend more time maturing in the cellar before it’s ready,” the master confirmed. “Here in Savoy it is our duty to provide the best cheese. Soon you will be practising the greatest job in the world.”
“Would you call it an art, making cheese?”
“It’s a craft, which is even better! Take a look at all the work and all the talent it takes. And the time...it’s a trial of patience. Making cheese is a long, long process. You need dairy cows for a start, and lots of them. They need to be raised and fed and taken care of...and then milked, of course! Then the milk needs to be curdled. Curds are what form when the milk coagulates after fermentation. Then the curd is sliced and broken up, and drained of its milk. Then the pieces of curds are placed in a mould where the whey can slowly drain away. This we call the moulage, and then comes the ageing. This is an essential step, and it’s where the talent comes into play! Every variety has its own ageing process. Then comes the salting, and finally the tasting...”
Alan Alfredo Geday
Comments