Cheese is a food that imparts great flavor and character. From mild to assertive, Papa Joe's Gourmet Market has selected five countries that boast outstanding cheeses to conclude your meals on a high note or brighten up your parties. Serve with a loaf of bread, crackers, dried fruit, nuts or an enhancing wine. Voila! Our wine department will pair your cheeses with wines upon request!
Cheese according to the ancient Greeks was a gift from the gods; the ancients believed that there was something miraculous about the transformation of milk into cheese and depending on which milk is being used and all the idiosyncrasies of the region that a particular cheese is created such as climate and vegetation makes each product unique.
Papa Joe's prides itself in our extensive line of imported and domestic cheeses. Cheese was and is all things to all men. It can be robust or delicate, strong or soothing, it can be an abundant meal in itself or a rare and precious morsel to be savored and treated with reverence offered all great miracles of art and nature.
The experts at Papa Joe's hand pick all of our cheeses for the best taste and quality. The extensive list of countries that boast outstanding products come from as far away as Italy, France, Spain, Holland, Greece, England, Germany and as close as Canada. Our staff will inform you with all you need to know that will spark your interest to enjoy the extraordinary flavor of the international world of cheeses. Here are just a few examples of what you can expect.
France:
Brie-While imitation Bries are made in many countries, to bear the name Brie legitimately the cheese must be made in the Seine-et-Marne area south of Paris. All Bries are made in flattish, disc forms of varying depths and ranging in diameter from 13 to 16 inches; their size influences their development. A Brie in peak condition has a deliciously creamy flavor, very rich and fruity. Genuine farmhouse Bries are imprinted with the marks of the straw mats on which they are ripened. Names to look for include Bri de Melun with a salty, concentrated flavor, Brie de Montereau which has a mellow, rustic flavor and Brie de Meaux, the mildest of the three and regarded as the best Brie. Commercially made Bries have less character but can be pleasingly mild.
Camembert-Smaller then Brie, Camembert has a hearty, fruity flavor of great complexity. It is sold either whole, as a 5- inch disc, halved or, in the case of factory-produced cheeses, in prepacked individual portions.
Boursin-A native of Normandy and the Ile de Francek, Boursault's commercial cousin is produced solely in factories from enriched, pasteurized milk. Plain Boursin, can be rather disappointingly bland, but garlic-,herb-and pepper-flavored varieties are also made.
Roquefort- Smooth, firm and buttery textured, Roquefort has a strong, well-rounded flavor and a faint moldy aroma. Roquefort is protected by strict government legislation so it tends to be of consistently good quality. However, like all the milk cheeses, it should be avoided during the spring months when it is almost certain to have been unnaturally preserved. The foil wrapper which protects its skim should be removed only immediately before serving to prevent dehydration.
Stilton-A semi hard cheese, Stilton is unpressed-hence its velvety, smooth texture-and has a thick, natural crust. The interior should be cream colored, never white, and spread with green-blue veins. Young Stilton has a mild, sharp quality which, when aged, gives way to a pronounced, full flavor.
Comte'-Another French member of the Gruyere family. Its full name is Gruyere de Comte. Made from cow's milk in the mountainous Franche-Comte region since the 13th century, prime specimens have round marble-shaped holes. Comte has a stronger flavor than an Emmentaler: fruity, and salty with a marked bouquet. Its rind is tough and darkly co lored, enclsing a yellowish interior Pleasant when eaten alone, it is also wonderful as an ingredient in a wide variety of cooked dishes: fondues, gratins, soufflés and sauces suggest themselves immediately.
Bucheron- A French cheese sometimes known a Buche de Chevre. The cheese has a thick, fluted white rind and is molded in the shape of a log.
Montrachet- A tall, cylindrical cheese from Burgundy, Montrachet is practically rindless. It is usually ripened in vine or chestnut leaves which should be removed before serving. Other versions are ash-covered, or coated with chopped herbs. Individual cheeses weight about 3 ounces and take about ten days to ripen. Supple in consistency, this cheese has a faintly discernible goaty smell and mild creamy flavor.
Switzerland:
Gruyere-This cheese has a pale yellow, firm but friable interior, which is sparsely scattered with pea-sized holes. It has a rather sweet, fruity flavor, significant aroma and coarse reddish rind in which fine slits, known as becs, may be discerned. Wonderful both as a table cheese or a recipe ingredient.
Emmentaler- A Swiss mountain cheese make from cow's milk and copied by other countries, notably France. The firm, thick, oily, golden interior has evenly distributed olive-shaped holes and a soft fruity flavor. Like Comte, Emmentaler is good as a table cheese and as an ingredient: in salads, canapés or sprinkled over soups and vegetables, or in cooked dishes.
Norway:
Jarlsberg- An Emmentaler-type cheese from Norway with a pronounced, nutty flavor. It is made from full-cream cow's milk and has a golden yellow interior, slight sweetness and evenly distributed large holes. Once considerably cheaper than Emmentaler, its popularity has dispensed with its price advantage.
Holland:
Gouda- One of Holland's foremost cheeses, Gouda has been marketed for more than two hundred years. Most of the cheese that is exported is young cheese, no more than six weeks old. This is quite salty and dull in flavor, and can be recognized by its yellow-wax coating. Mature Gouda is an altogether superior cheese with a stronger, more pronounced flavor and a black-wax coating. The average weight of this flat wheel-shaped cheese is approximately 9 pounds, though both smaller and larger cheeses are available. Made from unpasteurized cow's milk, Gouda has a high butterfat content which contributes to its succulent creamy flavor.
Edam- Dutch Edam is almost as well-known as Cheddar. It originates from the town of the same name. Similar to Gouda in taste, it is distinguished by being make from partly skimmed pasteurized cow's milk. The cheese has a fat content on 30 to 40%. It is manufactured entirely by factories in elongated 3- to 4-pound balls with red or yellow wax and has a smooth supple waxy texture and sharp, slightly acidic flavor. It is much favored by dieters as it combines all the versatility of a hard cheese with the virtues of reduced calorie content. It is also available flavored with cumin seeds or red peppers, in which case it has a brown-tinted rind.
Danish Blue- This cheese has a stark, white interior with aggressive blue-black veining and a strong, bitter, salty flavor. It is made from pasteurized homogenized cow's milk and is foil-wrapped.
Germany:
Cambazola- A blue Brie-type German cheese of fairly recent invention. Like Blue Brie, it is entirely factory-made with synthetically produced molds and a white, sprayed-on bloomy rind. The interior is creamy white and soft with delicate blue-green veining. It is made in dinner plate-size wheels with a portion-marked foil wrapper.
Greece:
Feta- Greece's most popular domestic cheese, Feta dates back thousands of years. The white cheese has a crumbly soft texture with small holes and a distinctive sharp, salt flavor. Often it is kept in brine to prevent dehydration. Feta is most frequently used in salads, though sometimes it is used cooked, flavored with herbs, as filling for Mediterranean pastries.
Papa Joe Exclusive's
Many rare and unique cheese's are so because of the conditions and ingredients necessary to produce them such as soil and climate. These conditions make the milk unique and the ripening and aging very specific in results. Here are a few of the worlds rare and unique cheese's available exclusively at Papa Joe's.
Torta Del Casar: From Spain. Made with pasteurized Ewe's milk and produced in Extremadura under strict D.O.P regulations. The most well known presentation of this cheese is to break through the top surface, spooning into the runny interior (when perfectly ripened) and eating it on crusty French bread.
Bella Sorella: Made with raw, Jersey cow's milk. Has a sharp, smooth, tight texture, intensely nutty flavor and natural rind. Multi-award winner, produced by Marisa Simoes on the family farm.
France Regal De Bourgogne: From With raisin and triple cream cheese from Burgundy, France. Great with berries and grapes. Hormone free, serve it with Burgundy wine or at a brunch with champagne. Fruity, fresh and sweet.
Carles Roquefort: Considered to be one of the best. An Artisan Roguefort made by hand using traditional methods. Less salty and ranks highest among blind tastings.
Toma Biellese: From Italy. One of the best known cheeses of Biellese. Semi-hard cheese, made of cow's milk. Produced using full cream that is matured 60-120 days, very rich.
Caprino Di Latte Di Capre: Italian goat's milk fresh cheese. Very smooth and creamy. Le Roule France: Delicious French cheese from the Loire region, distinctive for it's green swirl of herbs. The spreadable delight is great with smoked salmon.
King Island Dairy Strokes Point Smoked Cheddar: Farmhouse style cheese aged for 9 months and smoked with Tasmanian hard woods. Outstanding, Australian cheese.
Sottocenere al Tartufo: From Italy. Made from cow's milk with black truffles. Ashed rind is flavored with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and fennel.
Valencay France: Favorite of Napoleon. This distinct French goat cheese is coated in ash and can be served anytime. Good with a Chardonnay or fruity red wine.
Tronchon: From Spain. Combination of cow, sheep and goat's milk. The oddly shaped cheese has an aromatic herb flavor, creamy and very tasty.
Brin d`Amour: From France. Covered in dried herbs. This Ewe's milk cheese, from Corsica, is herby with hints of hazelnut and fruit.
Rochester, MI
