Atlantica - 01.10.2006, Page 28

26 AT L A N T I CA
on the fly
CHEESE IN THE NEWS. It’s official: Vieux Boulogne, a French cow’s
milk cheese, was named the “world’s smelliest cheese” by scientists
at the UK’s Cranfield University. Why the smell? The top ranking
cheeses on the smelly chart, including Vieux Boulogne, often
had their rinds washed in a saltwater solution, beer or brandy.
The rinse interacts with milk enzymes during the cheese-making
process, generating more than a small odor. Patricia Michelson,
owner of La Fromagerie cheese shops in London, said, “Vieux
Boulogne is a young, modern cheese with a surprisingly mellow
and gentle taste that’s perfect served with some crusty bread and
a beer.” If whiffy cheeses aren’t your thing, don’t worry – the old
standby Parmesan came in last.
CHEESE ON HOLIDAY. If you want to get away from it all and keep
close to your favorite snack, the exclusive six-star Hilton in the
Maldives resort is perfect. This upscale establishment is the only
hotel in the country with its own dedicated cheese and wine bar,
with over 500 wines and 100 cheeses to choose from. Manager
Laurent Schenk says the bar specializes in sourcing hard-to-find
and seasonal cheeses: “Much of the cheese we offer here would
be hard to find in shops in its own country of origin.”
DID YOU KNOW?
• The first cheese is thought to have been made in Sumer in 5000
BC, when the enzyme rennet, found in a calf’s stomach, curdled
the milk which a shepherd was carrying in a leather pouch.
• The Vikings introduced cheese making to the Isle of Man,
along with the use of black pepper as a spice. Now the Isle of
Man produces a Black Peppercorn Mature Cheddar cheese, so
everyone can try the Vikings’ handy work.
• Today, Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in Pennsylvania claims it has
the world’s largest burger on its menu, which includes 25 slices
of cheese. The hamburger weighs in at 15 pounds, and any two
people who manage to eat the whole thing in under three hours
don’t have to pay for it.
CHEESE... AND BEER! Wine and cheese have always been natural
mates, but the idea of matching cheeses and beer is gaining in
popularity. “It’s easier to match cheese to beer than it is to wine,”
explains Rupert Ponsonby, co-founder of the Beer Academy. “Like
cheese, beer has a range of styles and has a very distinctive weight
in the mouth. And cheeses often have that bready, yeasty flavor
which exactly mirrors the same flavors in beer.” To get started, try
an immature, chalky Brie with a yeasty lager like Grolsch, a goat’s
cheese with a fruity Belgian beer, or some Stilton with a strong old
ale. For further information, visit www.beeracademy.org.
COOKING WITH CHEESE. Cheese connoisseurs will want to make
sure they have a copy of Patricia Michelson’s The Cheese Room
close at hand. With tantalizingly written information on everything
from how to make your own cheese to how to create a seasonal
cheeseboard, The Cheese Room shares Michelson’s passion about
this versatile ingredient. Even better, it’s packed with recipes. The
spicy pasta jalfrezi is highly recommended. a
Indulge… IN CHEESE
on the fly
This month, we bring you – drumroll, please – cheese.
By Eliza Reid.
P
H
O
TO
B
Y
Á
S
LA
U
G
S
N
O
R
R
A
D
Ó
TT
IR
009 airmail Atlantica 506 .indd 26 25.8.2006 0:32:42