I once knew someone who didn’t try “real” cheese until he moved out of the house. He grew up eating processed cheese slices and cheese in a jar. This depresses me, because I think life without cheese is a very sad one indeed.
If it’s individually sliced, or comes in a jar it can’t be properly called cheese. In fact, I’m amazed that food manufacturers like Kraft can get away with calling it cheese. It should be called a “cheese-like product,” or “imitation cheese” but I guess people wouldn’t want to buy it if it was deemed to be an imitation. It’s a cheese mockery!
Don’t get me wrong. I like fake cheese. It’s one of my vices. That gooey stuff that goes on nachos… the kind that comes in a jar (TOSTITOS® Salsa Con Queso is one brand) makes me weak in the knees. Which is why I never buy it. This is baaaad for our bodies. When I peer down into a half-full jar of the stuff I like to imagine it glommed on to my hips, forming a rippling pocketmarked jiggly texture under my skin. This is a pretty decent deterrent. (Hey, whatever works, right?)
As I type this I have to ask myself why. Why do I like this stuff? I can’t really answer that. Perhaps it’s a means to an end when I’m having a salt craving. Jarred cheese is a salt delivery mechanism.
I was reading the history of cheese entry on Wikipedia this morning, and something jumped out at me. Apparently Americans buy more processed cheese than “real” cheese. I bet we’re not far off in Canada either.
About a month ago I attended my first ever cheese-tasting event hosted by SavvyCompany and it made me realize that life is too short to be eating fake cheese. I came home and looked at that sad, hard, brick of “lite” brie in my fridge (can you believe that something like that exists?) and realized that I was changed forever.
I think if I’m going to indulge in cheese it’s better to eat the real thing.
For some reason we live in a society that has reimagined cheese, and not in a very good way either. (And this is coming from someone who’s crazy about cheese-flavoured anything. Cheezies, for example. Oy. I’m drooling as I write this. ) Cheese has been relegated to a seasoning, or flavouring for chips and other salty snacks, boxed macaroni, and grilled cheese sandwiches. This is not what cheese is supposed to be. It used to be a real food. Real cheese can stand on its own. Real cheese can be eaten alongside a bowl of grapes, half an apple, or a good hunk of bread as an accompaniment.
And that’s why I’ve been on a cheese spree. We’re lucky to be bordering a few great cheese-makin’ regions and actually have a lot of great cheeses to choose from. Next time you’re at the grocery store (Farm Boy is really good for this) look around for something that is made a little closer to home. I understand the hesitation. It’s intimidating, but you have to start somewhere. Ask the people behind the counter to point you in the right direction.
We talk about eating local – fruits! veggies! – but let’s not forget the local butchers, bakers, and especially the cheese makers.
This is a cheese I picked up at Farm Boy recently. You can probably see why it caught my eye, right? Is that not the cutest package ever?
Turns out I walked home with the 2004 Winner of the Canadian Cheese Grand Prize for Semi-Soft Cheeses (!). It was a lovely and mild cheese, and I carved a slice for myself every day until it was gone. Funny thing about real cheese, like fine chocolate and ice cream it takes a lot less of it to make you happy. What’s up with that?
What’s your feeling about cheese? What are your fave finds? I’d love to hear your recommendations.
