Cheese in the FSU, Europe and the US.

[msmoby]

When it comes to cheese, the Russians have caught up to the rest of the cheese producing world when it comes to soft cheese and semi-soft cheese IMO, it's the hard cheeses like parmesan, that aren't on the same level yet.

Matter of fact, there's a semi-famous cheese making American who lives just outside Moscow that has become quite popular with Russians because of his cheese making skills. Not only to buy his cheeses but to pick his brain on the "how to". 

If you're really interested in where you can find any cheese you want in Moscow, I can point you in the right direction, but I think you're still in Denver, so kinda moot. But yes, you can still get any cheese you want here.

I'd like to amend my 'report' on cheeses in Russia... Danchik has made a good point - it's the harder cheeses that  aren't tasty... some Georgian stuff  hits the spot

[AvHdB]

This might become the cheesy thread. I guess we can thank that to Wiz. 

While the United States is not one of the 5 classic cheese countries, there has been a great revival of cheese making in The States. New blends from the artisan cheese (casiests ss that what call a cheese maker?) have come out, some quite good most very pricey.

For my self I prefer the Dutch and English cheeses. But there is a 'blue cheese' from Spain wrapped in grape leaves as well I guess a feta type cheese. Simply moorish.

[Ste]

This might become the cheesy thread. I guess we can thank that to Wiz. 

While the United States is not one of the 5 classic cheese countries, there has been a great revival of cheese making in The States. New blends from the artisan cheese (casiests ss that what call a cheese maker?) have come out, some quite good most very pricey.

For my self I prefer the Dutch and English cheeses. But there is a 'blue cheese' from Spain wrapped in grape leaves as well I guess a feta type cheese. Simply moorish.

Have you tried Red Leicester, Tilsit, Caerphilly, Bel Paese, Red Windsor, Stilton, Emmental, Gruyere, Norwegian Jarlsberger, Lipta, Lancashire, White Stilton, Danish Blue, Double Gloucester, Cheshire, Dorset Blue Vinny, Brie, Roquefort, Pont-L'Eveque, Port Salut, Savoyard, Saint-Paulin, Carré, Delouse, Bresber, Boursin, Camembert, Gouda, Edam, Caithness, Smoked Austrian, Japanese Sage Derby, Wensleydale, Greek Feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Pipo Creme, Danish Fynbo, Czech Sheep's Milk, Venezuelan, Beaver Cheese, Cheddar, Dilchester or Limburger?

I can recommend a cheese shop......

[AvHdB]

I had for the first time a cheese called Shropshire Blue sort of like Stilton oddly enough I bought it in L'viv. Wow so creamy and yet a wonderful bight. Turns out this cheese has nothing to do Shropshire. It is made in Iverness up in Scotland!

[Ste]

I had for the first time a cheese called Shropshire Blue sort of like Stilton oddly enough I bought it in L'viv. Wow so creamy and yet a wonderful bight. Turns out this cheese has nothing to do Shropshire. It is made in Iverness up in Scotland!

We've had 'Scottish' Cheddar in the fridge. It was made in Leeds. Can't do that now, 'Cornish' Pasties not made in Cornwall have to be 'Cornish-style' Pasties now.....

[cufflinks]

This might become the cheesy thread. I guess we can thank that to Wiz. 

While the United States is not one of the 5 classic cheese countries, there has been a great revival of cheese making in The States. New blends from the artisan cheese (casiests ss that what call a cheese maker?) have come out, some quite good most very pricey.

For my self I prefer the Dutch and English cheeses. But there is a 'blue cheese' from Spain wrapped in grape leaves as well I guess a feta type cheese. Simply moorish.

Thank you Cheese Wiz...

Have not found too many Euro cheeses locally as the artisanal cheese industry Cow, buffalo, Goat, Sheep is booming in New England...  hard to compete on price shipping across the Atlantic...

Interesting take on the Rub:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/ruble-level-that-shocked-markets-year-ago-now-cause-for-relief

[Chris]

I had for the first time a cheese called Shropshire Blue sort of like Stilton oddly enough I bought it in L'viv. Wow so creamy and yet a wonderful bight. Turns out this cheese has nothing to do Shropshire. It is made in Iverness up in Scotland!

It's also made in Nottingham and Melton Mowbray etc, whatever, it's very nice cheese, we also use it for cooking with. Stewing steak, cooked very slowly in red wine and beef stock with Shropshire blue and tasty Lancashire crumbly added for the last 5-10 minutes, superb! 

Cheese = a great food product, many of those Ste mentions UT we have on a regular basis, but its nearly that time of year again, so the Port will be complimenting the Stilton once again .....hmmm lovely!

[Manny]

hard to compete on price shipping across the Atlantic...

Not really, a couple of thousand dollars buys a shipping container and you can get a lot of cheese in one of those. The cost per retail package would be pennies.

Does the American palate appreciate European cheese so much? Don't you folk prefer that processed plastic type stuff you have there that you call cheese?

[Slumba]

hard to compete on price shipping across the Atlantic...

Not really, a couple of thousand dollars buys a shipping container and you can get a lot of cheese in one of those. The cost per retail package would be pennies.

Does the American palate appreciate European cheese so much? Don't you folk prefer that processed plastic type stuff you have there that you call cheese?

I don't know the equivalent of Costco in England - seems they have a few locations there but I don't know if it is the same.

Here in the USA, Costco (has the best prices, though larger packages - usually have to buy at least 400g or more at a time) has Coastal cheddar from England, Comte and various other French cheese, Havarti, Gouda, various Brie-like, etc.   Not like a full cheese shop but certainly enough variation.  Also Kerrygold butter - my favorite.

Unfortunately with rare exceptions, it seems that many cheese are required by the US to be made only with pasteurized milk - which of course makes no sense, as the first thing you do in cheese-making is ... add bacteria to it.  This restriction makes it more difficult to just bring over whatever will sell.

My sister the gourmet cook, who lives in Spain, came over for a visit and had no issues in finding what she needed or wanted for the meals she cooked while here.

[cufflinks]

hard to compete on price shipping across the Atlantic...

Not really, a couple of thousand dollars buys a shipping container and you can get a lot of cheese in one of those. The cost per retail package would be pennies.

Does the American palate appreciate European cheese so much? Don't you folk prefer that processed plastic type stuff you have there that you call cheese?

Now now whats with all this Brit snark during the holidays... I did say artisinal and mostly organic and certainly NOT pasteurized goat milk or sheep milk cheeses... do like quite a bit of the Italian cured Meats and Cheeses... next year is the first year I can donate blood now that the Warrington Mad Cow disease seems to have passed its magical 10 year mark even though my reading shows prion molecules accumulate over time so another foolish USA regulation.

[Markje]

Talking about cheese:

In Netherlands, cheese is a restricted word that has to pass some quality control.

MacDonalds is unable to pass this test, so it always advertises Big Mac with "Cheddar" but never "Cheddar Cheese" hehehe

Mark.

[Ste]

hard to compete on price shipping across the Atlantic...

Not really, a couple of thousand dollars buys a shipping container and you can get a lot of cheese in one of those. The cost per retail package would be pennies.

Does the American palate appreciate European cheese so much? Don't you folk prefer that processed plastic type stuff you have there that you call cheese?

I don't know the equivalent of Costco in England - seems they have a few locations there but I don't know if it is the same.

Here in the USA, Costco (has the best prices, though larger packages - usually have to buy at least 400g or more at a time) has Coastal cheddar from England, Comte and various other French cheese, Havarti, Gouda, various Brie-like, etc.   Not like a full cheese shop but certainly enough variation.  Also Kerrygold butter - my favorite.

Unfortunately with rare exceptions, it seems that many cheese are required by the US to be made only with pasteurized milk - which of course makes no sense, as the first thing you do in cheese-making is ... add bacteria to it.  This restriction makes it more difficult to just bring over whatever will sell.

My sister the gourmet cook, who lives in Spain, came over for a visit and had no issues in finding what she needed or wanted for the meals she cooked while here.

We have Costco in UK!

Proper Cheddar Cheese is from Cheddar, i.e. in Somerset I think.

[Chris]

hard to compete on price shipping across the Atlantic...

Not really, a couple of thousand dollars buys a shipping container and you can get a lot of cheese in one of those. The cost per retail package would be pennies.

Does the American palate appreciate European cheese so much? Don't you folk prefer that processed plastic type stuff you have there that you call cheese?

I don't know the equivalent of Costco in England - seems they have a few locations there but I don't know if it is the same.

Here in the USA, Costco (has the best prices, though larger packages - usually have to buy at least 400g or more at a time) has Coastal cheddar from England, Comte and various other French cheese, Havarti, Gouda, various Brie-like, etc.   Not like a full cheese shop but certainly enough variation.  Also Kerrygold butter - my favorite.

Unfortunately with rare exceptions, it seems that many cheese are required by the US to be made only with pasteurized milk - which of course makes no sense, as the first thing you do in cheese-making is ... add bacteria to it.  This restriction makes it more difficult to just bring over whatever will sell.

My sister the gourmet cook, who lives in Spain, came over for a visit and had no issues in finding what she needed or wanted for the meals she cooked while here.

We have Costco in UK!

Proper Cheddar Cheese is from Cheddar, i.e. in Somerset I think.

Yes from the village of Cheddar, near the  Cheddar Gorge.

[Manny]

Unfortunately with rare exceptions, it seems that many cheese are required by the US to be made only with pasteurized milk - which of course makes no sense, as the first thing you do in cheese-making is ... add bacteria to it.  This restriction makes it more difficult to just bring over whatever will sell.

Now you have said that, I recall reading it before, and that must have been whats up with cheese in the US.

[andrewfi]

WRT Cheddar, yes and no...

Cheddar is not a region protected product, unlike Stilton. There's no particular reason why Cheddar can be made only in that small part of the world. As I recall, Cheddar used to be stored and matured in caves in Cheddar Gorge. I have family who live there, well, a couple of minutes drive away, used to be one of my favourite places as a sprog.

Anyway, any cool dryish place works just as well and one can buy very nice Cheddar cheese from many places. Good job really as Cheddar Gorge couldn't support the volume of business anyway.

[AvHdB]

WRT Cheddar, yes and no...

Cheddar is not a region protected product, unlike Stilton. There's no particular reason why Cheddar can be made only in that small part of the world. As I recall, Cheddar used to be stored and matured in caves in Cheddar Gorge. I have family who live there, well, a couple of minutes drive away, used to be one of my favourite places as a sprog.

Anyway, any cool dryish place works just as well and one can buy very nice Cheddar cheese from many places. Good job really as Cheddar Gorge couldn't support the volume of business anyway.

What makes the English cheeses so interesting is within the cheddar family, there is such a variety in subtle flavours.

In North America it tends to be shall we say over the top.

Regarding exporting the US variations, it is normally made in small quanities. It is only known in small circles of friends, like wine I suspect eventually some one will figure it out. It might follow the trajectory of Sam Adams beer and spawn a complete 'new' revolution.

NB: Thanks to the moderators for spinning this off. 

[msmoby]

one can buy very nice Cheddar cheese from many places.

Sadly, not found one yet, in this Region of Sochi... but it is fun trying loads of different cheeses.

This is a good wiki site re UK/IRISH foods with regional protection and explanations - includes Cheeses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_food_and_drink_products_with_protected_status#Cheeses

Note some cheeses must not be made of pasteurised milk

[Markje]

Note some all cheeses must not be made of pasteurised milk