“How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?” said Charles de Gaulle of his beloved France.
Some estimates put this number between 1000 and 1600 distinct varieties. Yes, we are still talking about cheese.
What’s a Turophile?
Et les Turophiles...? Bah, that is just another fancy Greek word for Cheese lovers!
Today – the 20th of January is National Cheese Lover\’s day. Which is different from the myriad other days celebrated in honour of our humble hero, the versatile cheese. I am quite certain that most of these “Days” have a ghastly, commercial raison d\’être. But peu importe, there is always a good enough reason to (over) consume cheese.
Cheese that accompanies us for breakfast or as dessert. Gorgeous cheese in porcelain at a fine dining restaurant or à la nappe Vichy, spread by the banks of the Seine, with a baguette and some Camembert et du vin, biensur! You just can\’t have enough reasons to celebrate le fromage, to elevate your taste buds and your day!
Another one of my favourite cheese is the plain and simple, can\’t-go-wrong, la vache qui rit or the laughing cow cheese.
The quintessential Indian \”cheese naan\” is made with La vache qui rit, when MADE in FRANCE!
The largest Cheese dome in the world!
The concept of a cheese dome, housing more than a hundred cheese at a time, was created by René Tourette in 1988. At his newly opened restaurant, called Maison Tourette, he offered a cheese platter the size of a runway to his guests. The dome was such a success that it was included in the Guinness book of records.
Here is a replica of the dome we visited at the Hotel Mercure in Chantilly, near Paris.
A parting (taste) note
Not my words, but the wise old sage Anthony Bourdain once said:
“You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.”
Go be a romantic!