French Language: Cheese Tasting
On September 20th, the Year 10 French Advanced classes had the privilege to indulge in France’s rich cheese culture by cheese tasting. It was a wonderful experience, and might I say, un-fromage-able!
Before eating the cheese, we watched a video on proper cheese etiquette. Seeing how slicing the cheese correctly played such a crucial part was fascinating. After watching this video, it was time to eat the cheese, a part we were all eager for!
Madame Olpp, to introduce each of the five cheeses, briefly taught us about their intriguing histories. The Camembert’s recipe, for example, was given to a woman named Marie Harel, after she provided shelter to a priest. She later adapted it to make the Camembert.
It was beautiful to taste the variety of cheeses, as they all held a little part of France in them, from Normandy in the north-west to Rhone Valley in the south-east. We first tried the Camembert, a soft, creamy cheese with a buttery and smooth flavour. We then tried the Brie, similar to the Camembert but with a medley of sweetness, and creaminess. The next one was the Bûchette, my personal favourite. It was a tangy cheese made from goat’s milk with herbs to add to its pleasant flavour. The Dauphin was next, with its soft and mellow flavours that went well with the crackers. Finally, we had the famous Saint Agur Blue Cheese. We were initially tentative, but when we tried it, we were welcomed with a beautiful, pungent creaminess and a hint of sharp saltiness.
Overall, this was a fantastic experience that increased our appreciation of the art of French cheesemaking and cuisines.
We are hugely grateful to Madame Olpp for giving us this unique opportunity to indulge in a part of France’s many gastronomic delights and heritage! It was a brie-lant experience that we will all hold close to our hearts.
Nandini S (10B)