So 1975...

So, I asked my most devoted friends (Facebook and Twitter feeders - thank you. All five of you!) to vote about last nights post, and they all voted for Queso Fresco, and so I obliged. I hope they appreciate how loyal I am to my readers!

However, it is now time to write about the runner-up option. The Camembert-Brie Challenge. While I have been told this topic is "so 1975," the results were remarkable. First, I have to say again how amazing the conversations are when you share a cheese among friends. Two quotes to start:

"Life is too short to eat bad cheese!"

"I had kangaroo meat in Paris once..."

That last quote in context makes a little more sense...we were out wine tasting with friends, and I thought I'd bring along the Tasmanian Heritage Diary Camembert to share. (Not sure if kangaroos are on Tasmania as well as the continent but...) And since I'm always looking for a new blog topic, I thought I'd pick up a Brie to compare it with. And there is where it all went south. I've been lecturing anyone who will listen that just because it is a soft-bloomy rind cheese cut in a wedge, it's not necessarily a Brie. I was in a hurry at the mega mart, and grabbed the first Brie-looking cheese and ran. Turns out it wasn't a Brie at all, but a Rougette Landkase washed rind cheese from Germany! Shame on me.

So, though it wasn't a real Camembert/Brie challenge, it was definitely a comparative taste test. The Camembert from Tasmania was mellow and delicate, with just enough saltiness, and something either lemony or beefy about it, depending on the taste buds you confer with. Dee-licious! I would have taken a picture of this beautiful cheese, but was too busy eating it...and then it was all gone! *Note - if someone tries to sell you a wedge of Camembert, it isn't Camembert. Camembert is only sold whole.

The Rougette Landkase (not Brie at all!!!) had a much thicker texture and was much more pungent, with a mushroom-y, and an almost ammonia-like after burn that hit my oh-so-delicate tongue in an unpleasant way. This pungency is not suprising in a washed rind cheese, as we've learned in previous posts, but I had to throw my bite away! Too strong for me. That said, there was a member of our party who preferred this one, even comparing it to the Nic Cage of cheese!

That's the best thing about cheese - there's something for everyone! And, now I really want to eat kangaroo in Paris.

Cheese dreams to all...