gemfyre | Getting cheesed off

So, last night we went to a cheese party. I like this concept. All guests donate $10, and the hosts spend $100 or so on various cheeses to try. There was a lot of cheese left over, and I really hope it doesn't go to waste. But I did make a point of trying ALL of them.

So what did we have? And what did I think of it? Luckily, I wrote notes.

Listed in no particular order...

Fontina - Nice at first, weird aftertaste.

Old Cheddar - About 6 years old. The most expensive cheese on offer at around $70 a kilo. Very sharp and crumbly. Many people commented on a grassy aftertaste but I wasn't getting it.

Stilton - The first to be opened and was being rather quickly devoured until we were all banned from eating it until all the people had arrived and had a chance to try it. A couple of years ago you wouldn't have got me near a blue cheese, now I'm smitten. It's kinda weird, I can sorta feel it in my sinuses. One guest was allergic to penicillin, so couldn't try the blues.

Blue-green - What's better than one type of fungus? Two types of fungus. I mean, I love Blue Brie, which has a blue and a white mould. This had a blue and a green and was spectacular.

Mon Pere - We were told this was a type of Camembert. That's why I thought it was a weird tasting Brie at first. Wasn't awfully fussed with this one.

Baked Ricotta - Only good for lasagnes and cheesecakes. Bland and a weird, unpleasant texture.

Goat Brie - i.e. Made with goat's milk. This was labelled the "Penalty Cheese" after it was opened and a few people had tried it. I didn't find it completely repulsive, more intriguing. It was VERY runny (as one of my microbiology lecturers once said, "A good Brie should squirt you in the eye when you stick a knife in it.") And had a hell of a goaty aftertaste. Some described it as "dirt" or "dirty bucket" or "getting headbutted by a goat then kicked in the balls". Certainly the most interesting cheese on offer.

Provolone - Now I'd seen plenty of recipes calling for this cheese, so I was expecting something pretty normal. But this was bizarre. When I eat most types of honey, it leaves a weird burny sensation on the sides of my tongue. This cheese did the same thing! Others reported a buzz and salivation, but not quite the burning I was getting. Very interesting and unexpected. I did leave it alone after that first try though.

Grana Padano Parmesan - I ended on this because I knew it would be strong. Much better grated on pasta or pizza than just eaten. It was strong and sharp, just as expected.

Saracino Sheep Cheese - I have written in my notes "smooth, yummy". I guess that's it then. I think this was the very white cheese, which I would gladly eat again.

Wasabi Cheese - I had tried this before. This is good.

Feta - This was a non-descript feta in the salad that I tried because it was a cheese. It was way too salty, I have eaten much nicer fetas.

Jarlsberg - A classic. Tasted just as good as always, with that sweet, nutty flavour.

Prima Donna - Hmmm, I seem to have not taken notes on this one. I don't recall it being horrid, but I don't recall it at all, so it can't have been too spectacular.

Caprakaas - Another goat cheese, this one was a lot nicer than the Brie.

Pecorino - Second last to be tried and very similar to the Parmesan, but not quite as sharp. Another cheese best left to pizzas and pastas.

Manchego - Another sheep's milk cheese. Hard and sharp. I describe this as a "Sheep Parmesan".

Pepper Cheddar - Now I'm not 100% sure that this is actually what it was. It had black wax and black flecks through it and I think the assumption was that the flecks were pepper. However, I couldn't taste any pepper in it at all, and that's something I would notice. It was very nice though.

Stracchino - Bland and rubbery. NEXT!

Irish Red - Sharp and smooth. This was popular, but not my favourite.

Raclette - Another cheese I've seen mentioned in many recipes. I was impressed, this was very yummy.

Ambrosia - A pretty mild cheese. Nothing special, didn't really live up to it's name.

Dolce Provolone - This didn't have any bubbles, but had that nutty Jarlsberg flavour to it. It was like a sharp Jarlsberg.

King Island Surprise Bay Cheddar - Another popular one, but a bit too sharp for me.

Bocconcini - Appeared in a Caprese salad. Plain on it's own, but lovely as usual when teamed with Roma tomatoes and basil leaves.

Apricot and Almond Cheese - This wasn't even opened as it wasn't deemed worthy. Sure, flavoured cream cheese is nice, but it's just flavoured, cheap, cream cheese. Nothing special.

There were other cheaper or more dodgy cheese available too, these included -
Mango Chilli Philly
A bland cheese fondue
Cheese crackers made by one of the guests - these were gorgeous.
Cheezels - these weren't even opened.

The Monty Python Cheese Shop sketch was also viewed. As you do on these sorts of occasions.

I think the calcium overdose has done my knee good. It's feeling good this morning and I'm laying with it pretty straight sans knee brace. I think my new foam underlay for the bed is helping too. I woke up and didn't have achy joints and pins and needles from sleeping on a hard bed. *snuggles new cushy bed* There are now also non-slip mats in the bathroom.