As the subject line says, I just got back from a 10-day trip to France and Italy -- a long-promised family trip. We had a great time, though I did not get nearly as many chances to sample cheeses as I would have liked. :( I did bring back some wonderful Parmigiano Reggiano that was less than $10 / lb. -- in case anyone is wondering, it is fine to bring hard cheese into the US, but not soft cheeses.
A couple of cheese-related observations about the trip:
1) I was anxious to try "the real thing" when it came to Camembert and/or Brie -- I love what I have been making (my version of "Malembert"), but I haven't known how it compared to "the real thing." Assuming the cams and bries I tried in France really were "the real thing," the answer is that mine are not quite on target ... and that's a good thing. :) The cams/bries I tried were all very fungus-y in taste, with a surprisingly heavy ammonia smell -- and yet, other than the fungus, not a great deal of character. The "malembert" that I've made a couple of times now are much less fungus-y and have a much more robust taste. So ... I'll keep doing it "wrong" and enjoying it ... :)
2) I finally found a cheese that defeated me. It was in Italy, labelled as some sort of "toma" -- tomme? -- with quite a dark rind. The smell, once opened, was strongly reminiscent of Asian fermented fish paste, and the taste match the smell. I could imagine it being a great addition to a dish, in small quantities, but as a table cheese, it was just too much for me. I had intended to take a picture to share, but my wife disposed of it before I had a chance. :(
Very cool Andy,
I'm jealous. I like the barnyardy ammonia thing in cams, I think the neige is prone to that flavor development. Hope you plan on sharing some photos and stories from the trip so we can live vicariously through your experiences.
John
Sounds like so much fun munching on all those cheeses . And your right about price their quality cheeses are at our Costco cheese prices .
Just a small correction the USA allows all cheeses into the country for personal consumption accept liquid cheese ( what ever that is ) and cheese with meat in it :o
All soft cheeses are okay even raw milk cheese