
Now, bear in mind that the same types of cheeses can fall under the category of processed, store-bought cheese as well. While the world of gourmet cheese is a lot bigger than you'd expect, there are certain types that are more popular than the others. It does not contain unhealthy chemicals or preservatives and tends to have a more pronounced, distinct taste than the standard salty version your tastebuds experience in the case of store-bought cheese. Gourmet or artisan cheese, on the other hand, only makes use of natural ingredients like high-quality milk, enzymes and natural colours, and the cheese is usually made by hand with more care and extra steps to ensure the finest taste. This means the cheese in your store-bought can is only part natural cheese, while the rest of it comprises artificial ingredients inserted to enhance the taste of the cheese. The cheese you buy from supermarkets is mass-produced in an industry, and made of natural cheese with additions like emulsifiers, preservatives, extra salt, saturated vegetable oils and artificial food colours, to name a few. But before we go cheese hunting, here's all we need to know about gourmet or artisan cheese.įirst off, what is the difference between Gourmet & store-bought cheese? This means the procurement issues that we once grappled with, no longer serve as boundaries to getting those artisan cheeses into our kitchens. Gourmet cheese in India is increasingly becoming less expensive, and more accessible to the common Indian population.

The truth is, there is a lot more to gourmet cheese than we are let on to believe, and the umbrella term comprises various nuances and types, that we are yet to be accustomed to. However, knowledge about the expansive world of cheese specialities, is still quite limited amongst Indians, with a familiarity of only a few names at best. After all, when there exists a specific kind of cheese, perfect for each culinary experiment you wish to take on, why would you stick to the generic processed slices or tin? And frankly, we couldn't be more psyched. The Indian population continues to warm up to more artisan varieties, paving the way for gourmet cheese to become the next big food trend in India. For us, Brie is never quite as enjoyable as on its home turf, though many American makers are doing admirable work, at least in the general vicinity of the authentic original.The days of using a singular can of store-bought cheese for every cheesy dish you intend to prepare, are progressively becoming outmoded. Somehow, millions of cheese eaters over there manage to muddle through.

What we might call Brie here for example, isn't that at all, even if the label says it's imported from France, where the style will age barely half the time of the legal requirement on this side of the Atlantic.
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As good as things have gotten, we're still terrified of that bad bacteria, at least at the regulatory level-a firm rule of no commercial sales of raw milk cheese before 60 days of aging keeps a wall between us and some of the most celebrated cheeses in the world. The average American supermarket may still be filled with uninspired cheese, but in 2019, the future of cheese in this country was looking pretty damn bright-with just a few more hurdles to get past. At this writing, some of the most treasured brands in the country have taken on European investors or owners, among them Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove, and-that's right-Rogue Creamery. Plenty of Americans may not yet be aware, but the Old World producers have been paying attention. At that same 2019 awards ceremony in Bergamo, everybody from a generations-old family farm in Wisconsin to a boutique operation in Maryland's Allegheny Mountains were celebrated. Show up to one of these international cheese meet-ups, and you might be surprised who's bringing home the trophies. Right now, think of a style of cheese that you'd like to try, even if it comes from a country far, far away, and chances are good someone here is at least doing a decent job-they might even be winning awards doing it, too.

And where are we, these days? Where aren't we, is the better question. It's been a long, slow burn, but each year has yielded something slightly more interesting, for those eager to support the fledgling domestic artisan cheese market. Sara RemingtonĪnybody with an unshakable habit of loitering at cheese shops, or even around the cheese case at their local supermarket, can tell you what happened in the decades since a handful of goat-loving ladies lit the fire. A spread of cheeses, meat, and crackers from Cowgirl Creamery.
