This French proverb speaks of the attitude of the representatives of this nation towards cheese more than eloquently. Regardless of the perspective of the rest of the world commenting on the French’s attitude towards cheese, the truth is that for them it is a very serious matter related to their lifestyle. The five countries that consume the most cheese per capita on an annual basis are Denmark, Iceland, Finland, France and Cyprus. The Danes eat more than 28 kg per year, and the next three countries have a consumption of slightly more than 27 kg in the same period of time. Countries famous for their cheeses such as Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy rank in the ranking with a little more than 20 kg. For comparison, for Americans the amount is about 15 kg, for the English about 12 kg, and in China less than a kilogram per year. In Bulgaria, about 12 kg of cheese is eaten per capita.
With this popularity of eating cheese all over the world and especially in Europe, it is important to think and study the practice of serving it and eating it in a formal and formal environment, as well as in a friendly, family and everyday circle.
Cheese can be a menu item at any time of the day – it is served for breakfast, lunch, cocktail and dinner. Among the French, it is not served as an appetizer, unlike this approach, which Americans often use, but is served before dessert. English people often end their dinner with cheese and grapes. Italians use it as part of every element of their menu, serve it both before and at the end of the meal.
A Cheese Talk
The art of having a table conversation in a formal environment is one of the elements for preparing persons with representative business, administrative or diplomatic functions. Among the possible topics that can be talked to with people standing next to each other at the table, food naturally falls. This conversation is dedicated to the culinary tradition of the respective country and region, and not so much to the food served at the moment. Great care should be taken when talking about cheese. The question of the epithets we use for the aromas of different cheeses is particularly indicative. Even if you think a cheese gives off an unpleasant smell, the appropriate expression for “formulation” of this feeling in front of your hosts is that the cheese has a “strong aroma”. Considering how popular and favorite food cheese is throughout Europe, the ability to talk about it is a very important tool for successful integration into a company or environment. Knowledge of this language and theme is also useful for popularizing dairy products typical of Bulgaria and dishes containing cheese to foreign guests as an essential element of the local culinary tradition.
Presentation
It is good that the number of cheeses is from 3 to 7 /it is good to keep in mind that we usually talk about an odd number of cheeses to serve/ and they are of different types or groups – one soft, one hard and one blue or goat, if you decide on the classic number from 3. If you want to make a more numerous “bouquet”, you should choose different types of cheeses such as density, degree of maturity, etc. There is also a logical approach to the sequence in which the proposed cheeses are tried and it is related to the degree of expression of the their tastes. It starts with those with the lightest and most delicate taste and moves on to those with a sharper one. The idea is that if you start with the sharpest cheeses, their aroma will not allow enjoying the more delicate notes of the lighter ones. According to the same logic, they are arranged on the plate or board itself – the light ones are at the end, and the sharp ones are in the middle, because that way they will be consumed. The other logic “sends” the harder cheeses on the edges of the pad, and the more liquid and fragile – towards the middle, so as not to violate their integrity.
A good choice for presenting guests is a thematic platter from a given country or a selection only from a certain group /soft or mold, etc./ If you want to draw the attention of your guests to a certain type of cheese, usually some rare, new or typical for the given season of the year, you can Only serve him. The selection also depends to a large extent on the guests present at the table. In case you have foreign guests, it is good to choose Bulgarian cheeses so as to promote the local production. Of course, it is a delicate time to serve cheeses to representatives of nations that are famous for the same product and which have a tradition of serving it and promoting it. In any case, it is always an advantage to know the preferences of your guests in order to choose the types of cheese that will give maximum pleasure to their taste.
It is a good idea to keep the information with the names and origin of the siren you present so that you can share it with your guests if they show special interest.
No matter how many types you choose, serve them in a ceramic plate or wood or marble board. Avoid metal or plastic because they strongly negatively affect the tastes of the product. It is important that the pad in question is perfectly smooth to make it easy to cut the different pieces. Depending on the number of cheeses you decide to serve, note that you should place them on the mat in such a way that there is enough space between them to cut and to separate the aromas between the different pieces. The plate or mat is placed in the middle of the table so that it is easily accessible to everyone present. For each of your guests, you need to prepare an individual plate with a spreader knife and a fork, maybe a small one, so that they don’t have to eat the siren with their hands. Note that for the French, a fork is not an option. With them, the only tool is an individual knife, which is suitable for lubrication and cutting. With it, the cheese is put or spread on a piece of bread and thus tasted. An exception is made only for those types that are served and eaten with a spoon, which are often available in a wooden pad or box.
To bring complete aesthetic pleasure to your guests, combine the siren and color – you can make a “bouquet” of white, yellow, gray, red, green and blue tones dominating different types of cheese.
Like wine, cheese needs to “breathe”, which means that before consuming it, it is good to stay at room temperature to start expressing its tastes and release specific aromas. Most species need about 1 hour at room temperature before serving.
Slicing
The correct cutting of different types is also a very important aspect of the manners when consuming it. The approach depends entirely on the shape of the product. Each host should decide whether they will cut the cheese in advance so that guests can easily pick up or arrange a knife for each cheese, with which the guests can cut their own pieces. An argument when choosing one of the two options is the fact that pre-cut cheeses start to oxidize faster and, accordingly, part of their taste qualities change or disappear, but it is easier for the guests. If it is cut immediately before a meal by each guest, then it is preserved with its excellent taste qualities for a longer time, but the correct handling of any of the cheese knives can be a test for some of the guests. The biggest enemies of cheese are light and oxygen, which is why it is good to consume it soon after it is cut. As a host, you can also choose a mixed approach where you can cut additional pieces in the course of their consumption. If you are a guest and feel insecure about cutting a type of cheese, always follow the rule of watching what the host is doing or a more experienced guest.
The round shape is very easy, because the only thing that is expected is to cut into triangular pieces in the middle like pieces of cake. Long cylindrical cheeses, usually they are goats, are cut lengthwise if possible with the same thickness. Rectangular cheeses are cut into a similar shape into small pieces so that they are ready to eat. For those who have a border at the end, it is good to cut it into sticks, which can possibly be cut in two so that each piece is also available from the board. The pyramid-shaped cheeses are divided into two, then into four, and each piece is cut in two again. Of course, for any type of cheese and shape, if it is too soft, the host can serve it cut in two only, leave the knife with him and each guest set a piece before taking it to his plate.
In the case of a cheese triangle, it is very important not to cut off the “nose”, because the central part of the pita, from which each triangular piece is made, contains the best part of it, with the most prominent taste. Because of this, it is cut lengthwise so that it remains from the top for all who will try it. In this way, it also keeps its shape until the last bite. The same rule is followed for Roquefort cheeses.
The mozzarella, which is a round ball, is cut in half, after which each half is cut into separate pieces in the shape of a crescent. The cheeses, which are small in size, are not cut, but are left whole, and should be a number corresponding to the number of guests.
knives
A different knife is used for each cheese, because the flavors should not be mixed. The soft cheeses are cut with a very sharp knife, which if possible has holes to allow the pieces to be easily separated. If you want to serve the cheese but your guests in thin strips, this is suitable for medium hardness cheeses and is cut with a knife in the shape of a shovel that has an opening with a cutter at the base. For hard cheeses, knives with a very sharp cutter and a much more solid case are used – those with the shape of a small ax are precisely for such cases. For some of the soft and fresh cheeses, it is good to provide a spoon with which they can be poured.
This ensemble of utensils ends with the special fork, which is induost and serves to stabilize hard cheeses when cutting them, and then it can also be a tool for serving the individual pieces on the plate of each of the attendees.
Cheese’s ‘Friends’
The French serve the cheese only with bread. According to their idea of ideal serving, there should be a beautifully arranged basket on the table with different types of bread – rustic, rye, with spices, with seeds, with nuts, etc. To this, butter can be served on the table – general or individual – and then on the guests’ plates you should certainly be Foreseen as a utensil and a spreading knife to take from the oil. Any variants of biscuits, salads, crackers, etc. change the taste of the cheese, which should not happen according to the French “cheese – label”.
The other “good friend” of cheese, according to them, is wine. Opinions are not completely uniform whether the wine is white or red. What is certain is that the wine should not have a very strong tannin taste, be lighter, so as not to conflict with the aromas of the cheese, but only to emphasize them. Of course, it is possible to combine it with other drinks, but most practices in Europe are like that.
If you still decide to arrange something else for the cheese plate, you should consider the type of cheese themselves. If you have lighter, fresh cheeses, they can be combined with thin pieces of pear or apple. Ripe cheeses with a stronger aroma and density are combined with dried fruits, nuts, even jam /the French have for this purpose a special onion jam/ and olives. A sophisticated host is evident from the overall layout when serving the cheese – as a meeting of flavors, colors, shapes and aromas.
Italians’ approach
In Italy, cheese can be served to you along with any dish, even with sweets. Like the French, the Italians have a very serious attitude to the preparation, serving and consumption of cheese, which is a staple of their menu. It can be a component of an appetizer, served together with a platter of sausages and olives or before the dessert with fruit and honey. Whether it will be offered to guests before the start of a dinner or before the end depends on the degree of maturity of the cheese – fresh ones are offered before and ripe ones after dinner. Cheese is often the staple of lunch along with one of the local sausages, bread and tomatoes. Of course, from the point of view of local culinary tradition, an important question is how cheeses are used and combined with pasta and pizza. Different types of Italian cheeses are known and recognizable all over the world. Among them, Parmigano is ranked first. Grana Padano, Pecorino, Mozzarella, Ricotta and Mascarpone /Grana Padano, Pecorino, Mozzarella, Ricotta and Mascarpone/ are also very popular. The latter two are also associated with some of the most famous and beloved Italian sweets, among which tiramisu stands out.
The taste of the Swiss Alps
Switzerland also claims to be the European capital of cheese. Local cheese is born in the Emma River Valley, near Bern. There you can see a pita weighing more than 100 kg, and it is a very memorable and impressive sight. Inside the cheese there are numerous caverns – large “holes” by which they are distinguished from other cheeses. Bertolt Brecht has the line “what will happen to the hole when the cheese is gone” and this is just one of the proofs of the importance of treating cheese in the culture of everyday life in Europe. The preparation of the so-called is also typical for Switzerland. Fondue. It is a combination of two or more types of cheese that are mixed with wine, melted during heat treatment in a special container, then consumed by dipping pieces of dry bread into the melted cheese mixture with a special utensil similar to a long-handled fork. This food is very suitable for warming in cold weather, which is why it is consumed more often in autumn and winter. It is a wonderful dish in a company of close friends, because part of the pleasure is the process of its preparation, as well as the shared way of eating, in which everyone dips the pieces with bread or boiled potato in the general container in which the cheese has been melted. Due to this specificity, fondue is not offered as part of a menu of formal gatherings or those of a protocol nature. But it has its place in an informal, friendly environment and creates a very pleasant atmosphere of trust and closeness.
Cheese from the lowest point of the Old Continent
In the territory of today’s Netherlands, cheese has been known for at least 2000 years. Nowadays, more than 600,000 tons of cheese are produced in this country per year, with only one fifth remaining for the local market and the rest intended for export. Let’s just recall that it is in this country, and more precisely in Amsterdam, that the Cheese Museum is located, where you can see the most expensive cutting knife inlaid with diamonds. Among the most recognizable species are Edam and Gouda /Edam and Gouda/.
And a little more about French cheeses
President Charles de Gaulle asks his infamous question, “How can you run a country that has 246 types of cheese?”, which is just one of the many proofs of the French’s serious attitude toward this element of their culinary tradition. In the text, I repeatedly drew the attention of readers to the demands and customs of France.
One of the first places in popularity is Brie /Brie/, which is famous as the cheese of kings and king of cheese. It is a favorite cheese of Philip Augustus, Charles of Orléans, Queen Margot and Henry IV. It is a soft cheese covered with white mold reminiscent of velvet. The interior is soft and gentle, with a light hazelnut aroma. It dates back to the Middle Ages, and its current form with mold is a feature added only in the 20th century.
Roquefort also occupies one of the first places in terms of popularity and distribution among blue cheeses, not only in France. Camembert is also among the most popular French species. Its history begins in the 18th century and is associated with Normandy. It also falls among the soft cheeses with mold.
In Europe, there is a really huge variety of tastes and types of cheese, typical of different countries and regions. We should not forget the Greek feta cheese, which falls into the top 10 on the old continent. The English are proud of their Cheddar and Stilton, who also make this honorable list. A leading place as an exporter of cheese in Europe is occupied by Germany.
All this allows us to believe that cheese, its way of serving and consuming, forms a very essential part of the culinary identity of the countries of the Old Continent. Therefore, knowing this art and adapting it to both formal and everyday situations is an important tool for creating a pleasant environment for communication, trust and closeness between guests at each dining table.
The text was prepared by Bilyana Decheva-Guncheva (1972 – 2022), an employee at the Diplomatic Institute since its foundation, lecturer in the courses on protocol, etiquette and ceremonial, as well as a co-author of a study aid on “Protocol and etiquette in the context of the European Union’.
