News From The Cheese Caves

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”
(loosely translated: The more things change, the more they stay the same.)
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808-1890) French critic, journalist, and novelist.

My mother always told me to try new food once and if I didn’t like it, try it again in a few months because she explained that our bodies and minds are in a constant state of evolution, and what might taste awful today might be delicious tomorrow. Which brings me to my latest “new favorite cheese” Taleggio (pronounced: tah-LED-joh).

When I first tried this Italian “stinky cheese”, about a year ago, I was a bit put off by the smell and didn’t give it much attention. However, after tasting dozens of different cheeses over the next twelve months, my palate began to progress; trying Taleggio again last month I realized that while the cheese hadn’t changed, I had. Another favorite of mine is Robiola Bosina, and Taleggio reminds of a more mature, more complex, more interesting relative of this Robiola. They both share a similar texture, a very creamy chewyness that is quite satisfying, and are both one of the few cheeses which can be enjoyed still chilled from the caves (or refrigerator at home). And while they both have an edible skin the Taleggio’s is a washed rind that has an almost imperceptible crispiness in its texture and a taste that is surprisingly mild for one so multifaceted. As usual, I’m glad that I followed my mother’s advice and gave this fantastic cheese a second chance.

“There are always new things to experience, internalize then write about. This process is ongoing with me. It never stops.”
Graham William Nash (b.1942) British singer-songwriter

Heather
Executive Assistant

Posted by Artisanal Cheese

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 8:55 am and is filed under Artisanal Cheese News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.