4 ms·

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

by 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.
- peferron 12y ago
  A parent post was criticized for being too general, so I'll be extremely specific: cheese from the Whole Foods located at Park Place, San Mateo, California is crap compared to cheese from the cheese shop located on Rue Saint-Hélier, Rennes, France, and is also crap compared to cheese from the weekly farmer's market in Noyal-Châtillon, France. The only decent cheeses at this Whole Foods are the safe choices like hard aged cheese. The more delicate cheeses to get right, like an Emmenthal de Savoie (you want it yellow, mellow and flavorful; not white, hard and tasteless) or many types of goat cheese, always disappoint. Note that French supermarkets (Carrefour, Super U, etc) offer much worse cheese than Whole Foods. At least that was the case a decage ago - I haven't visited the cheese section of a French supermarket since, so I might be out of date. If you want good cheese you need to head for a cheese shop ("fromagerie") or a farmer's market (which might also supply good bread to pair with your cheese).

by funkyy 12y ago

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.
peferron 12y ago
A parent post was criticized for being too general, so I'll be extremely specific: cheese from the Whole Foods located at Park Place, San Mateo, California is crap compared to cheese from the cheese shop located on Rue Saint-Hélier, Rennes, France, and is also crap compared to cheese from the weekly farmer's market in Noyal-Châtillon, France. The only decent cheeses at this Whole Foods are the safe choices like hard aged cheese. The more delicate cheeses to get right, like an Emmenthal de Savoie (you want it yellow, mellow and flavorful; not white, hard and tasteless) or many types of goat cheese, always disappoint. Note that French supermarkets (Carrefour, Super U, etc) offer much worse cheese than Whole Foods. At least that was the case a decage ago - I haven't visited the cheese section of a French supermarket since, so I might be out of date. If you want good cheese you need to head for a cheese shop ("fromagerie") or a farmer's market (which might also supply good bread to pair with your cheese).