About 500 types of cheese exist in France. Cheddar's not on the list though. But that's OK (although hard to get used to at first) because with so many other cheeses to experiment with, cheddar slowly becomes a distant memory. Until you think about mac & cheese. With such a variety of French fromage to choose from, this next statistic shouldn't surprise you, but it probably will! On average, a French person will consume 22 kilos of cheese per year. Oh la vache! 1 kilo = 2.2 lbs. That means that a Frenchman will consume nearly 50 POUNDS of cheese each year! And let's not forget all the delicious baguettes that must accompany the cheese...and the salty, creamy butter from Normandie to be sandwiched in between the cheese and the bread also, if you like. Yes, I like!
Ludovic, a friend of my husband's, puts the national statistic to shame. Ludovic should be in the Guiness Book of World Records, or something. Ludovic can eat about 1 kilo of cheese per day. My husband has seen him accomplish such a feat many times. That means that Ludovic hits the nation's average in about a month!!
My favorite French cheese is brie. It does not have a strong, bold taste like roquefort or epoisse, but is very mild instead. The brie's creamy texture makes it very spreadable and oh-so-tasty. In fact, the longer it's in your fridge, and the more time it passes on the table, the better it gets. Like a fine wine, cheese can get better with age.
Then there's the cheese that really makes you catch your breath. The stinky cheese. Getting a whiff of foul-smelling French cheese is like walking into a boy's locker room that's littered with dirty socks after a soccer game. Then put those socks into a duffel bag, and forget about 'em for 2 days. Stinky cheese is like that. Awful! That paints a terrible image I know..but I must also say, that most of the time, the stinkier the cheese, the more delicious the taste. It's true!
My father-in-law has been known to get a big kick out of placing the tray of highly odorous cheeses next to me at the dinner table when I'm not looking. They wait for my face to contort as I react to the smell and then they erupt with laughter. Holding my breath, I take a few wedges, quickly pass the tray along, and enjoy. Mmm....
Then there's the cheese that really makes you catch your breath. The stinky cheese. Getting a whiff of foul-smelling French cheese is like walking into a boy's locker room that's littered with dirty socks after a soccer game. Then put those socks into a duffel bag, and forget about 'em for 2 days. Stinky cheese is like that. Awful! That paints a terrible image I know..but I must also say, that most of the time, the stinkier the cheese, the more delicious the taste. It's true!
My father-in-law has been known to get a big kick out of placing the tray of highly odorous cheeses next to me at the dinner table when I'm not looking. They wait for my face to contort as I react to the smell and then they erupt with laughter. Holding my breath, I take a few wedges, quickly pass the tray along, and enjoy. Mmm....
Cheese is normally served after the main course and before dessert. And one thing I've learned is that you always save room for the cheese. So if you're a cheese lover, taking a trip to France in my opinion is definitely worthy of being on the bucket list.
No comments:
Post a Comment