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> easily as good as anything from Europe That's a strong statement. I've yet to come to anything even remotely close to the taste of aged (2-3 years minimum, w

> easily as good as anything from Europe That's a strong statement. I've yet to come to anything even remotely close to the taste of aged (2-3 years minimum, when grains form inside) hard cheeses like Comte, Gruyere, Beaufort and probably dozen or two more, mostly french. Copies I've had, sometimes even more expensive than original, can't seriously compare (ie french versions of Gruyere vs original AOC variant, and one would expect that French would get this right). If you actually done that comparison in person, then I believe you, otherwise, buy a plane ticket after covid. What folks here can create from raw cow/goat/sheep/buffalo milk and some bacteria (and/or worms) is ridiculously good, an universe of tastes on its own. And I haven't even started into properly artisanal, often local-only cheeses. They are not exported even within their own country, forget to see it anywhere across the pond.

swimfar 6y ago
There are plenty of American cheeses that win the top prize in international competitions. Six of the eight cheddar categories at the following competition were won by US cheeses. https://wccc.myentries.org/contest/results?event=63&submit=Submit+Search https://wccc.myentries.org/contest/results?event=63&submit=S...
- evgen 6y ago
  Wow! Six of eight domestic cheeses won at a 'world cheese' competition sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. Colour me surprised! I am sure the fix was not in on that particular contest... There actually are some good US cheeses, although oddly enough not a single one of them comes from Wisconsin to the best of my knowledge. (Vermont, Iowa, and California in case you were wondering.)
  - swimfar 6y ago
    That was just the first link I found, and it was just for the first category. Other (non-US based) competitions also have winning cheeses from the US. My point was only that there are certainly good cheeses from the US. Of course, it's all subjective, so it doesn't mean that any one person will be able to find a favorite cheese from there. https://gff.co.uk/awards/world-cheese-awards/ https://gff.co.uk/awards/world-cheese-awards/
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
PaulDavisThe1st 6y ago
[ personal background: grew up in the UK, lived in the US for 31 years, lived for extended periods in Heidelberg and Berlin, and have travelled extensively in Europe over the last 40 years. Have visited the supposedly best cheese stores in France, Spain and Germany. I live on cheese :) ] Almost anything that goes through the the Jasper Hill Cellars in Vermont is going to give you incredible cheese (they don't make them all, but they do act as an aging facility). Hard cheese is more of long shot in the US, although amazingly the WI-based Bellavitano brand is trying hard (admittedly a lot of the time by adding flavorings, but still ...). Landaff is another hard cheese somewhat similar to some of the tangier UK hard cheeses, but quite unique. Cheddars in the US are nothing like UK cheddar (as the article noted). New England cheddars probably have the most complex flavor profile, as long as you stay on the "sharp" end of the scale. They are as strong as a good west country cheddar, but just different. For soft cheeses though, OMG, an embarrassment of riches. Winnimere - unctuous, stinky, incredible. Humboldt Fog - goat, with ash layer, delicious, midway between the really strong French ripened goats and mere chevre. Oma and Moses Sleeper (both ripened at Jasper Hill) are also deep and complex. There are a couple of blues too: Russian River (out of central CA) and Bayley Hazen are particularly interesting, though also quite unlike any of the great european blue cheeses (nobody seems to be trying this, sadly). And these are all nationally distributed varieties. If you live in the right parts of the US, there are typically local varieties (at least of soft types, less so for hard cheeses) that will be worth trying. None of this is to say that US cheese is "better". It's just amazing how far it has come in the last 20 years, and how good the best of it is compared to european options. Gruyere remains unmatched anywhere. But that doesn't excuse the northern european tier (Nederlands, Germany in particular) from producing "cheese" generally better suited to filling holes in walls than eating! :)
- deeg 6y ago
  I'm no cheese expert but I've toured parts of Europe sampling their cheeses and I completely agree: Vermont--Jasper Hill especially--has a lot of great cheeses. American cheeses are different, though, sometimes because of pasteurization laws. If one wants a great Brie then don't get an American cheese. But if someone wants a great bloomy-rind cheese that can rival the best European cheeses try Jasper Hill's Harbison (or any of the others mentioned above).
davidgay 6y ago
> one would expect that French would get this right They do get it right, it's just called Comté ;) (really - the Comté area is not very far away from Gruyères) Personally I prefer Comté for eating and Gruyère for cooking.

swimfar 6y ago

There are plenty of American cheeses that win the top prize in international competitions. Six of the eight cheddar categories at the following competition were won by US cheeses. https://wccc.myentries.org/contest/results?event=63&submit=Submit+Search https://wccc.myentries.org/contest/results?event=63&submit=S...

evgen 6y ago
Wow! Six of eight domestic cheeses won at a 'world cheese' competition sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. Colour me surprised! I am sure the fix was not in on that particular contest... There actually are some good US cheeses, although oddly enough not a single one of them comes from Wisconsin to the best of my knowledge. (Vermont, Iowa, and California in case you were wondering.)
- swimfar 6y ago
  That was just the first link I found, and it was just for the first category. Other (non-US based) competitions also have winning cheeses from the US. My point was only that there are certainly good cheeses from the US. Of course, it's all subjective, so it doesn't mean that any one person will be able to find a favorite cheese from there. https://gff.co.uk/awards/world-cheese-awards/ https://gff.co.uk/awards/world-cheese-awards/
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

PaulDavisThe1st 6y ago

[ personal background: grew up in the UK, lived in the US for 31 years, lived for extended periods in Heidelberg and Berlin, and have travelled extensively in Europe over the last 40 years. Have visited the supposedly best cheese stores in France, Spain and Germany. I live on cheese :) ] Almost anything that goes through the the Jasper Hill Cellars in Vermont is going to give you incredible cheese (they don't make them all, but they do act as an aging facility). Hard cheese is more of long shot in the US, although amazingly the WI-based Bellavitano brand is trying hard (admittedly a lot of the time by adding flavorings, but still ...). Landaff is another hard cheese somewhat similar to some of the tangier UK hard cheeses, but quite unique. Cheddars in the US are nothing like UK cheddar (as the article noted). New England cheddars probably have the most complex flavor profile, as long as you stay on the "sharp" end of the scale. They are as strong as a good west country cheddar, but just different. For soft cheeses though, OMG, an embarrassment of riches. Winnimere - unctuous, stinky, incredible. Humboldt Fog - goat, with ash layer, delicious, midway between the really strong French ripened goats and mere chevre. Oma and Moses Sleeper (both ripened at Jasper Hill) are also deep and complex. There are a couple of blues too: Russian River (out of central CA) and Bayley Hazen are particularly interesting, though also quite unlike any of the great european blue cheeses (nobody seems to be trying this, sadly). And these are all nationally distributed varieties. If you live in the right parts of the US, there are typically local varieties (at least of soft types, less so for hard cheeses) that will be worth trying. None of this is to say that US cheese is "better". It's just amazing how far it has come in the last 20 years, and how good the best of it is compared to european options. Gruyere remains unmatched anywhere. But that doesn't excuse the northern european tier (Nederlands, Germany in particular) from producing "cheese" generally better suited to filling holes in walls than eating! :)

deeg 6y ago
I'm no cheese expert but I've toured parts of Europe sampling their cheeses and I completely agree: Vermont--Jasper Hill especially--has a lot of great cheeses. American cheeses are different, though, sometimes because of pasteurization laws. If one wants a great Brie then don't get an American cheese. But if someone wants a great bloomy-rind cheese that can rival the best European cheeses try Jasper Hill's Harbison (or any of the others mentioned above).

davidgay 6y ago

> one would expect that French would get this right They do get it right, it's just called Comté ;) (really - the Comté area is not very far away from Gruyères) Personally I prefer Comté for eating and Gruyère for cooking.