Contrary to popular belief, cheesemongers are not ogres. They’re not interested in judging your cheese knowledge: they just want to make you happy. So, for your first lesson in cheese, let’s go over a few terms and suggestions.
•Walk up to the counter and look lost. Cheesemongers, like forest rangers, want to help you. Admit that you don’t know anything, and they’ll take you by the hand.
•Be adventurous. If you’re scared of blues, say so. But don’t cling to Jarlsberg.
•Once you discover a cheese you like, tell the cheesemonger you want to try something similar. There are roughly eight styles of cheese—fresh, bloomy, washed rind, soft, semisoft, firm, hard, blue—once you discover one you like, explore the field.
•If you don’t know whether to eat the rind, ask. Many rinds, like those fuzzy sweaters around Brie, look a bit funky but are perfectly edible, and you’ll notice that the rind often contains the most flavor. But if it doesn’t appeal to you, don’t eat it. No hard feelings.
•If you want to see a cheesemonger get excited, ask, “So, what do you like?” You’ll get to try the most interesting cheeses that way.
•Ask for pairing tips. Cheesemongers graze all day, and they’re often wonderful cooks who attend tastings and secret, service-industry parties full of unthinkable delights. Most of them can rattle off cheese and wine pairings like it’s no big thang.
•Eat the samples. As you taste them, make a mental a note of the flavors. If you have trouble placing a flavor, ask the cheesemonger, “What am I tasting?” so that you get a little instruction. This is a great way to develop your palate.
•If you’re on a budget, let the cheesemonger know. Splurge on one or two delicacies, then pick something affordable. In cheese land, you really do get what you pay for. Exquisite cheeses are expensive because they are usually made by hand on a farm by someone who has lots of furry little mouths to feed.
