6 ms·

Cheese is an awesome food. It's high-protein and high-fat and is perfect if you're a farmer or in some other way burning a lot of calories. Where I live (switz

Cheese is an awesome food. It's high-protein and high-fat and is perfect if you're a farmer or in some other way burning a lot of calories. Where I live (switzerland) we eat a ton of cheese and it's seasonal, with Spring/Summer cheese being when the cows are in the mountains eating clover, herbs, and grass, versus in the Fall and Winter when the cows are in the valleys eating hay. There are something like 5000 varieties of cheese in Switzerland if you include every village and farmer and their sub-varieties in the list, but for mainstream cheeses there's something like 500 varieties. You can get unusual different cheeses every weekend if you're willing to take a trip to some random village in a tucked-away valley. (sausage too! especially if you're willing to eat sausages made with horse, deer, dog, etc.) I'm not Swiss but my wife and I still eat a ton of cheese. It's so good here and such a part of the culture that you can't help but take to it. We burn off the calories like the Swiss do with hiking and skiing every weekend.

macspoofing 12y ago
That's one of the things Europeans (anecdotally Germans and French) who work or study in North America complain about. Cheese quality and selection (and price!) here is crap. In fact, food quality here seems to be a notch lower.
- raldi 12y ago
  North America is a gigantic place; can you be more geographically specific?
  - macspoofing 12y ago
    Good point. North East. I suspect this is true for all regions in Canada / US.
    - raldi 12y ago
      Nope. https://www.google.com/search?q=rainbow+grocery+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZnUgVe_rMMiSoQTjkYCgBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=rainbow+grocery+cheese&safe=... https://www.google.com/search?q=zabar%27s+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CnUgVaKODsizogTttILYBQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=zabar%27s+cheese&safe=off&es... https://www.google.com/search?q=24th+street+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=63QgVbCGCc-yogTmhYHoCw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoBA#imgdii=_&imgrc=cwJMlt2ebQ6OBM%253A%3BWjOgxT05iVtPlM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fc0056906.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com%252F241632.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Feventseeker.com%252Fvenue%252F241632-24th-street-cheese-company-san-francisco%3B850%3B567 https://www.google.com/search?q=24th+street+cheese&safe=off&... https://www.google.com/search?q=fairway+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=AnUgVaXKD5bhoASVooD4AQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=fairway+cheese&safe=off&espv... https://www.google.com/search?q=cowgirl+creamery&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=NHUgVZOFKsLwoAT5iICgBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=cowgirl+creamery&safe=off&es...
      - GFK_of_xmaspast 12y ago
        There's a little bit more to the "north east" than New York City.
        raldi 12y ago
        Yeah, that's why it's ridiculous to claim there's no good cheese in "all regions of the US and Canada."
      - funkyy 12y ago
        Its different to point to specialist shops, or have enormous choice of best cheeses in every large supermarket. In most supermarkets of continental EU you will have a large cheese and ham stand with qualified person that will cut it for you, give you samples and advice on the one to pick. http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/462749102-an-employee-selects-a-block-of-cheese-for-a-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QS2Y4TQOeWT8PrjE3YS1X1AXiw6nuWot%2FLzP5ycgeoxwTt51eJNv2rFkwnBhd85z%2Bw%3D%3D http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/462749102-an-employee-selec...
        greggman 12y ago
        Most Whole Foods seems to have a huge cheese section with specialists as well and at least in California, both north and south, they are practically ubiquitous. https://www.google.com/search?q=whole+foods+cheese&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=whole+foods+cheese&tbm=isch There's also other chains like Bristol Farms, Gelson's that have large cheese sections I'd be really curious to know how those compare.
        foldr 12y ago
        It's certainly possible to get good cheese in the US, it's just more difficult (and often more expensive) than it is in Europe.
        cmrdporcupine 12y ago
        Generalization: In North America -- excellent but expensive selection @ luxury grocery stores for upper class or upper middle class individuals in gentrified areas Europe - reasonable selection at reasonable prices at large and small grocery stores for ordinary people, fresh, and of good quality and with regional local specialties. Same goes for wine. Cider. Beer. When I visit family in Europe it's a totally different experience -- here in North America quality is a luxury option, and "local" and "regional" is a branding exercise, and imitative of Europe with little indigenous invention; in Europe generally just sheer weight of history and the influence of 2000 years of farming .. it's entirely different.
- tiatia 12y ago
  1. US milk does not taste good. Actually, it does not taste at all. I always thought this is just in my mind until a Swiss guy said the same. 2. All milk products are do not taste so well and often have poor quality. Cheese, Yogurt etc. 3. You can get excellent cheese and yogurt but this comes with a hefty price tag. E.g. Whole foods etc. I have the impression that supermarket foods in the US have a much lower quality compared to Europe. You can get the same or better quality, if you can effort to pay for it.
  - BinaryIdiot 12y ago
    > 1. US milk does not taste good. Actually, it does not taste at all. I always thought this is just in my mind until a Swiss guy said the same. I don't believe this. Milk sold at a super market comes from cows and cows need to be semi local to bring milk to any store. I'd love to know how milk from other places is somehow superior. My suspicion is that it isn't and just confirmation bias (that or someone is comparing different types of milk (e.g. 2% versus homogenized) which is a poor comparison).
    - mryan 12y ago
      On the face of it, it is easy to say "it's just milk, it all tastes the same", but there are significant differences in how milk is produced in the US compared to the EU. Most US-made milk is produced using genetically engineered growth hormones (rBGH) which are banned in the EU as they are believed to increase the risk of cancer. It would not be legal to sell US milk in the EU (or Canada) for health reasons. That, and other differences in production methods, could go some way towards explaining the perceived superiority.
      - dworin 12y ago
        I'm skeptical. Less than 20% of milk produced in the US uses rBGH, and most health organizations, including in Canada and Europe, agree that milk from rBGH/rBST cows is safe for humans. The reason it's banned in the EU and Canada is because it's a health risk for cows, not people. And the reason you're not likely to get US fresh milk in those countries has more to do with transportation costs than production standards. If I had to guess, I'd say the most likely reasons for flavor differences are 1) different pasteurization techniques 2) fat content 3) consumption temperature (you can't taste sugars as well when they're cold).
danielnaab 12y ago
As an American in Wisconsin with Swiss roots (southwest Wisconsin has a strong Swiss imprint), your comment sounds so cool to me. It's much the same here... more cheese and sausage than the dietitians recommend, and while we don't have the Alps we have plenty of beautiful ways to work it off. Having visited family in Switzerland and seeing the country, I've come to appreciate how similar our regions of the world are.

macspoofing 12y ago

That's one of the things Europeans (anecdotally Germans and French) who work or study in North America complain about. Cheese quality and selection (and price!) here is crap. In fact, food quality here seems to be a notch lower.

raldi 12y ago
North America is a gigantic place; can you be more geographically specific?
- macspoofing 12y ago
  Good point. North East. I suspect this is true for all regions in Canada / US.
  - raldi 12y ago
    Nope. https://www.google.com/search?q=rainbow+grocery+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZnUgVe_rMMiSoQTjkYCgBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=rainbow+grocery+cheese&safe=... https://www.google.com/search?q=zabar%27s+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CnUgVaKODsizogTttILYBQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=zabar%27s+cheese&safe=off&es... https://www.google.com/search?q=24th+street+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=63QgVbCGCc-yogTmhYHoCw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoBA#imgdii=_&imgrc=cwJMlt2ebQ6OBM%253A%3BWjOgxT05iVtPlM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fc0056906.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com%252F241632.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Feventseeker.com%252Fvenue%252F241632-24th-street-cheese-company-san-francisco%3B850%3B567 https://www.google.com/search?q=24th+street+cheese&safe=off&... https://www.google.com/search?q=fairway+cheese&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=AnUgVaXKD5bhoASVooD4AQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=fairway+cheese&safe=off&espv... https://www.google.com/search?q=cowgirl+creamery&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=789&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=NHUgVZOFKsLwoAT5iICgBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw https://www.google.com/search?q=cowgirl+creamery&safe=off&es...
    - GFK_of_xmaspast 12y ago
      There's a little bit more to the "north east" than New York City.
      - raldi 12y ago
        Yeah, that's why it's ridiculous to claim there's no good cheese in "all regions of the US and Canada."
    - funkyy 12y ago
      Its different to point to specialist shops, or have enormous choice of best cheeses in every large supermarket. In most supermarkets of continental EU you will have a large cheese and ham stand with qualified person that will cut it for you, give you samples and advice on the one to pick. http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/462749102-an-employee-selects-a-block-of-cheese-for-a-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QS2Y4TQOeWT8PrjE3YS1X1AXiw6nuWot%2FLzP5ycgeoxwTt51eJNv2rFkwnBhd85z%2Bw%3D%3D http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/462749102-an-employee-selec...
      - greggman 12y ago
        Most Whole Foods seems to have a huge cheese section with specialists as well and at least in California, both north and south, they are practically ubiquitous. https://www.google.com/search?q=whole+foods+cheese&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=whole+foods+cheese&tbm=isch There's also other chains like Bristol Farms, Gelson's that have large cheese sections I'd be really curious to know how those compare.
        foldr 12y ago
        It's certainly possible to get good cheese in the US, it's just more difficult (and often more expensive) than it is in Europe.
        cmrdporcupine 12y ago
        Generalization: In North America -- excellent but expensive selection @ luxury grocery stores for upper class or upper middle class individuals in gentrified areas Europe - reasonable selection at reasonable prices at large and small grocery stores for ordinary people, fresh, and of good quality and with regional local specialties. Same goes for wine. Cider. Beer. When I visit family in Europe it's a totally different experience -- here in North America quality is a luxury option, and "local" and "regional" is a branding exercise, and imitative of Europe with little indigenous invention; in Europe generally just sheer weight of history and the influence of 2000 years of farming .. it's entirely different.
tiatia 12y ago
1. US milk does not taste good. Actually, it does not taste at all. I always thought this is just in my mind until a Swiss guy said the same. 2. All milk products are do not taste so well and often have poor quality. Cheese, Yogurt etc. 3. You can get excellent cheese and yogurt but this comes with a hefty price tag. E.g. Whole foods etc. I have the impression that supermarket foods in the US have a much lower quality compared to Europe. You can get the same or better quality, if you can effort to pay for it.
- BinaryIdiot 12y ago
  > 1. US milk does not taste good. Actually, it does not taste at all. I always thought this is just in my mind until a Swiss guy said the same. I don't believe this. Milk sold at a super market comes from cows and cows need to be semi local to bring milk to any store. I'd love to know how milk from other places is somehow superior. My suspicion is that it isn't and just confirmation bias (that or someone is comparing different types of milk (e.g. 2% versus homogenized) which is a poor comparison).
  - mryan 12y ago
    On the face of it, it is easy to say "it's just milk, it all tastes the same", but there are significant differences in how milk is produced in the US compared to the EU. Most US-made milk is produced using genetically engineered growth hormones (rBGH) which are banned in the EU as they are believed to increase the risk of cancer. It would not be legal to sell US milk in the EU (or Canada) for health reasons. That, and other differences in production methods, could go some way towards explaining the perceived superiority.
    - dworin 12y ago
      I'm skeptical. Less than 20% of milk produced in the US uses rBGH, and most health organizations, including in Canada and Europe, agree that milk from rBGH/rBST cows is safe for humans. The reason it's banned in the EU and Canada is because it's a health risk for cows, not people. And the reason you're not likely to get US fresh milk in those countries has more to do with transportation costs than production standards. If I had to guess, I'd say the most likely reasons for flavor differences are 1) different pasteurization techniques 2) fat content 3) consumption temperature (you can't taste sugars as well when they're cold).

danielnaab 12y ago

As an American in Wisconsin with Swiss roots (southwest Wisconsin has a strong Swiss imprint), your comment sounds so cool to me. It's much the same here... more cheese and sausage than the dietitians recommend, and while we don't have the Alps we have plenty of beautiful ways to work it off. Having visited family in Switzerland and seeing the country, I've come to appreciate how similar our regions of the world are.