Name That Cheese

NAME THAT CHEESE: FRENCH FROMAGE QUIZ

France is as renowned for its fromage as it is for its wine. Indeed Charles de Gaulle famously said, “How can anyone govern a nation that has 246 different kinds of cheese?” Here we’ve selected 12 of the best cheeses, from diverse geographical regions, so you can test your knowledge of the country!

1. If you’ve never had a picnic with a simple baguette and a nicely ripened round of this creamy cow’s milk classic from Normandy, well, it’s time to start living! The rind is a little furry with touches of beige and there’s recently been a fashion for baking it.

2. Similar to No. 1, but from a completely different region, this fine fromage is a cow’s milk cheese with an edible white rind and a pale creamy interior which softens as it ripens. An absolute French classic.

3. Not unlike the Dutch Edam in appearance, this unusual cheese is made near Lille. The texture is firm and the interior colour is a strong orange. A whole example of this cheese will come in a squashed ball shape and possess a grey, rough and pitted exterior. Boasting a nutty flavour, this cheese is often served after having been aged for a year or two.

4. A soft cheese which is often distinguished by an orange rind. It is made in the Vosges region of north-eastern France. The texture is creamy, smooth and quite sticky and it can be pungent on the nose.

5. One of France’s oldest cheeses, this is said to date back to the 6th century. It looks similar in outward appearance to Camembert but the consistency is more like a regular cream cheese. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of this Normandy cheese is that it is often produced in the shape of a heart.

6. A goats’ cheese from the Loire Valley, made in the area surrounding the village which provides its name, which was originally served as a snack for the local grape pickers. The texture becomes firmer with age, from medium to hard, but there is always a distinctive nutty flavour. Great on a cheeseboard or grilled with salads.

7. A cow’s milk cheese made in the high hills and mountains of the region of the same name. A round of this cheese can weigh up to 120lbs, so you will buy it in long thin slices. It possesses an aromatic, nutty but also slightly sweet flavour, reminiscent of Gruyere.

8. A soft goats’ cheese with a firm and creamy texture, which is only produced in this region of south-western France and sold in a distinctive cylindrical shape called a bonde. The flavours are mild and creamy, becoming more tangy and nutty as the cheese ages – but it will only age for weeks not months. The unusual name is said to derive from the Arabic for goat.

9. A mild and creamy blue cheese from an area which produces several examples. This one is named after a local town. Shaped like a tall cylinder, it has a mottled grey/brown exterior and a natural thin crust.

10. Named after the mountain region in eastern France, this popular cheese is made from the skimmed cow’s milk and has a lower fat content than many cheeses. The rind is thick and has a grey exterior, whereas its interior is pale cream with small holes. It boasts a sweet and soft taste with earthy tones.

11. Apparently the favourite cheese of the Emperor Charlemagne, this blue cheese made from ewe’s milk has a noble and ancient pedigree. Aging takes place in limestone caves where the mould develops, resulting in a soft creamy texture but a salty and tangy taste.

12. One of only two sheep’s milk cheeses to gain AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) status, this cheese comes from the mountainous areas of south-western France near the Spanish border. The crust varies from grey to orange and the interior is semi-hard with a pleasant buttery and nutty taste.

ANSWERS

1. Camembert, 2. Brie, 3. Mimolette, 4. Munster, 5. Neufchatel, 6. Crottin de Chavignol, 7. Comté, 8. Chabichou, 9. Fourme, d’Ambert, 10. Tomme de Savoie, 11. Roquefort, 12. Ossau-Iraty

SCORE GUIDE

10-12: Congratulations, you are a fully paid up turophile! Just remember to eat small portions like the French do!

6-9: Bien fait les fromagistes! You can show off at a party but that fancy restaurant cheese board may catch you out.

3-5: Not so bad, but you could improve your cheese knowledge and/or your geography to score better next time.

0-2: Time to visit France again and make sure to sample some cheese wherever you go. There are over 350 to try!

Credit/Source:  by France Today Editors/France Today.com

Gougères – Cheese Puffs

This recipe looks like the perfect “amuse-bouche” to awaken your guests’ appetites and seems quick and easy to do – Bon Appetit!

Makes about 16.

½ cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
dash of piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup flour
2 eggs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup grated Comté or Gruyère cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. Pour the water, butter, piment d’Espelette and salt into a small but heavy saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring to combine.
3. Turn the heat off but keep the pan on the burner and add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and pulls from the sides.
4. When the dough forms a ball, remove from the stove and let it rest for 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time and quickly stir to combine.
6. Combine the cheese with the dough, reserving one tablespoon for topping the puffs before baking.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment and drop about one tablespoon of dough every two inches to allow space for the gougères to rise. Place the remaining cheese on top of each puff.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the gougères turn golden. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Source/Credit: Kelly Page at Girls’ Guide to Paris

France May Not Be For You…

What others would you add?

1. The French sure do love their cigarettes.  If you don’t like cigarette smoke, France may not be for you.
2. If you expect to be fussed and fawned over at dinner by wait staff who act like your new best friend and offer up their name, France may not be for you.
3. And if you may become upset and impatient when said wait staff let you relax and enjoy your meal rather than shoving you out the door, France may not be for you.
4. If you need to touch and riffle through all the merchandise when you’re shopping and you think the customer is always right, France may not be for you.
5. If you expect the French to smile, hold the door for you (a complete stranger) and speak to you in English, France may not be for you.
6. If you don’t like cheese – the smell of cheese, the taste of cheese. It’s a country of over 365 cheeses and if you can’t handle that much cheese, France may not be for you
7. If you prefer Paris sidewalks to be free of doggie doo, France may not be for you.
8. If you’re not big on etiquette, using your manners, or going out of your way to be polite in a foreign country, France may not be for you.
9. If you like mega-sized portions and leftovers, France may not be for you.
10. If you thing aloof, private and reserved translates to rude, France may not be for you.
11. If you have no desire to learn a bit of the language or culture before you go, France may not be for you.
12. If you’ll be highly offended when you try to speak your best French, but you’re answered back in English, France may not be for you.
13. If you’ll throw a hissy fit when the classy resto you’ve been looking forward to dining in won’t serve you at 3:30 for lunch or 5:30 for dinner.  France has set hours for shopping, dining, banking and other services, France may not be for you.
14. If you’ll be uncomfortable when Parisians blatantly stare at you while sizing you up on the Metro, France may not be for you.
15. If you can’t sleep in anything less than a king sized bed or stay in a hotel room the size of a house, France may not be for you.
16. If you might ask a waiter for a phone book to call the health department to report the women sitting at the next table in a bistro who’s dining companion is her dog, France may not be for you.
17. If you’re not greeted with the same sense of urgency as you’re used to in other parts of the world (ie, the U.S.), France may not be for you.” 

Reblogged: By Robin Locker Lacey via Tongue in Cheek

 

An Extremely ‘bubbly’ Sunday – French food market

I attended the 22nd “Salon des Vignerons” – an annual, wine-maker & wine-tasting fair that also sells regional foods and other specialties. Held at the town’s racetrack, there were more than 260 vendors from all regions of France, Italie, and from Quebec, Canada. I was given a wine glass at the entrance, and as I wandered among the stands and booths, vendors would vivaciously offer and pour free samples of wine or champagne or slice samples of cheeses and hams, as they explained their products’ individual nuances. You could taste absolutely everything that was for sale! I tasted Serano ham, Guyere cheese, olives, chocolate made with olive oil instead of butter, salami, and seaweed, just to name a few!

For example, from the Basque region, I sampled a special aperitif or dessert wine that consisted of white grapes and armagnac (delicious)! From Vertus, I tasted three kinds of wine, each one having progressively plus de corps and plus d’attaque (more full-bodied), with the last one having been in the wine cellar for ten years. At the Gremillet stand, I tasted a champagne that was 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay (fruity but not sweet), and another that was 100% chardonnay (not as round in the mouth). The apple cider booth from Quebec was unusual and very good, with a recommendation to use ‘vrai’ ice rather than crushed ice. I love champagne, and so, the booths selling ‘bubbly’ were my favorite — of course, I just had to buy a couple of bottles as souvenirs. What would you have bought?

There was also an impressive wine rack display, with unusual and creative designs of wine decanters and wine fountains. Other displays included the well-known French brand of knives, Laguiole.

All in all, it was a very French and bubbly day, with corks popping and animated discussions about what French people love and take si much pride in — their ‘produits du terroir’ (regional products)!

All photos © 24/7 in France

Grand marche en plein air!

Last Sunday, my husband said there was a big street fair in a nearby town, in case I wanted to go, but being “Poisson d’avril” (April Fool’s Day), I thought he was joking, not to mention that it was Sunday when most stores are closed. Mais non, three streets were actually barracaded for about 6 blocks, making a giant square communal area. There were pedestrians, street performers, and stands everywhere selling ‘everything but the kitchen sink’!

I browsed and people watched a lot, so I guess, the April Fool’s joke was really on me!

(All photos copyright of 24/7 in France)