Past Newsletters

Vol. 5 No. 1

Caerphilly, the Cheese that Hails from Wales

Pronounced car-`filly, this Welsh cheese has been steadfastly made since the middle of the 19th Century. Originating in small farms close to the town of, you guessed it, Caerphilly, it rapidly grew in popularity with the Welsh mine workers. The miners, who were well aware of the fact that cheese absorbed the toxic substances inhaled in the mines, had made cheddar their popular choice. Caerphilly, however, became an instant hit with its fresher flavor and softer texture that made it more palatable down in the pit.

Originally produced locally for domestic consumption to use up surplus milk, in the early nineteenth century it began to provide a source of prosperity when it was marketed at the fairs. Demand for this unique cheese quickly exceeded supply. Developing means to keep up with this new insatiable demand, a cheese market was established which invited cheese makers from Vale of Glamorgan to Chepstow to participate. The production of Caerphilly cheese reached a peak of 2 1/2 tons a week. The flat round cheeses, each weighing from five to ten pounds, were unloaded from the carts and wagons and stacked in an open building on the Twyn. This very sight is what inspired the following poem, no doubt authored by a grateful consumer and fellow cheese lover:

There was naught to be heard but Cheese! Cheese! All the time, yes, cheese! Cheese! And Cheese! Without ending. I verily thought that the people of Wales on nothing but cheese were depending. Were you to heap up every cheese upon cheese, and I to climb up had the power, I could change the moon every noon with great ease from the top of Caerphilly's Cheese Tower.

Gorgonzola, an Authentic Italian Treasure

Gorgonzola, our third and final selection, is a tangy cheese made in the northern Italian village of the same name located on the outskirts of Milan. Legend has it that this cheese was made there for the first time in 879 AD Its exact date of origin still remains a mystery, though there are some indications that it might go further back than the legend even states. The Romans, exhausting themselves as they herded the cows from the Alpine pastures to the meadows of the lush Po valley, aptly named this cheese stracchino, which comes from the Italian word stanco meaning tired.

This unique cheese is made with either unpasteurized or pasteurized milk to which a mold is added. At about four weeks the cheese is pierced with thick needles to encourage the spread of the mold. Ripening in three to six months the cheese is usually wrapped in foil to keep it moist. Its color ranges from white to straw-yellow with a distinctively marbled blue-green mold. Gorgonzola is a rich, soft paste with herbs, produced exclusively from milk of the D.O.C. (certification of authenticity) regions. It is a cheese rich in minerals and vitamins with a texture that makes it excellent for salads and dips. The quality and authenticity of Gorgonzola are guaranteed in a number of ways. Very strict regulations are adhered to regarding the production standards, not to mention the fact that only the cheese made with milk from the D.O.C. region qualifies it to be true Gorgonzola. Each block of cheese, according to the law, must be branded at the location of production and must bear the name of the producer. It goes without saying that the cheese blocks must be branded with the Consortiums stamp, debarking the cheese as, indeed, 100% Gorgonzola from Italy.

Camembert Village Famous for its Cheese!

Camembert is a small village in the province of Normandy, in northwestern France. Set on a hill, overlooking the trout-filled Viette river, the village consist of half-timbered dwellings clustered around a church. The origins of the village date back to the Dark Ages well before the Norman invasion of England!

It has 185 inhabitants according to the last census

Legend has it that Marie Harel, an inhabitant of Camembert, invented this wonderful cheese with a little bit of help, that is.

During the French Revolution all Roman Catholic priests in France were forced to swear allegiance to the newborn republic, or else be executed. Some fled and hid in the countryside, and in 1790, Father Charles-Jean Bonvoust, a Roman Catholic priest, sought refuge with Marie at her farm. He came from the Brie, a region near Paris famous for its cheeses. In return for the shelter she offered him, he gave Marie the secret recipe for Camembert.

Of course there is some controversy as to who invented the cheese since the region had been famous for its cheeses since at least 1681, well before the birth of Marie Harel in 1761! Marie probably just improved the recipe using the advice of Charles-Jean Bonvoust. So still the mystery of who invented Camembert remains, and until someone else steps forward, Marie gets the credit in the town of Camembert.

The Secrets of Camembert

Traditional Camembert is made from the fresh raw milk of Norman cows, which is high in fat and very rich in proteins and vitamins. (Unfortunately US law only allows us to import pasteurized Camembert.) The milk is heated and poured into large vats. A natural rennet is added and once the curds have formed, they are ladled carefully so they wont break, into individual cheese molds. When the cheeses have drained sufficiently, they are turned over. On the second day, the cheeses are removed from the moulds and taken to the salting room. Here dry salt is shaken onto all surfaces of each cheese. On the third day, the cheeses are placed in the drying room, where the mold rind forms. The ripening period is approximately twelve days, depending on the season, after which the cheeses are ready for packing. Once packed in their distinctive boxes, they are aged for another four or five days before being sent to market.

The flavor of Camembert is definitely the main reason for its worldwide popularity, but we cannot talk about Camembert without mentioning the distinctive Camembert box. Originally Camembert was sold in straw cases. Toward the end of the 19th century, railways and steamboats spread all over Europe, and this created new opportunities for Camembert to be sold throughout France and abroad.

One of Maries daughters presented Camembert to Napoleon

Unfortunately the straw case style of packing did not protect the cheese for long journeys. In the town of Le Havre around 1890, a French cheese exporter, M. Rousset, decided to use spruce wood boxes similar to those used for other French. Around the same time, Eugène Ridel, created a nailed and stapled circular poplar wood box an instant hit, and now a famous tradition.

Open the lid on your Camembert box, and you will notice immediately an aroma of mushrooms with a subtle braised cabbage undertone. These two aromas are the quintessential elements of true Camembert. The rind is an ivory white with red flecks through it, and if you stroke the cheese you will feel the downy texture of the penicillin rind. The rind is essential to create Camembert as the mold rind grows around the cheese it sends out microscopic roots (rhizomes), and it is these roots, working from the outside in, that turn the texture from chalky to voluptuously soft and gooey.

Tasting Notes

Camembert
Its a personal choice as to whether you eat the rind or not eating the rind will intensify the flavor and give you an added dimension in texture. The Camembert you have received is perfectly ripe. If you ever see Camembert with a thick chalky center, the rind did not complete the ripening process. As with most cheeses, the flavor becomes more intense as the cheese ripens. Once ripe, Camembert should be eaten within 5-7 days.

Caerphilly
This is a moist, crumbly cheese with a pale-colored paste. It has a slightly sour but buttery flavor and a sharp, but not overpowering smell. A cheese of international reputation, it is creamy, light and subtle in flavor a gastronomic delight to satisfy all palates.

Gorgonzola
A traditional creamery cheese, Gorgonzola imparts a sharp, spicy flavor, the blue-green ripples providing an excellent contrast to the rich, creamy cheese. The taste ranges from mild to sharp, depending on age.