Bringing the World of Cheese to Christmas Eve

Article: Cac Truc | Photos: many authors

That shows how this rich, fatty food is revered in Western cuisine. When the whole family gathers together on Christmas Day, there is nothing better than enjoying a piece of rich cheese with bread and a glass of wine while chatting. Now let's prepare a year-end cheese party!

Feta cheese – the muse of Greece

Cheese making was an art form practiced by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Feta cheese is one of the oldest cheeses, even appearing in the Odyssey thousands of years ago. Homer described in detail how the Cyclops, a giant with a flock of thousands of sheep, made Feta cheese.

Feta is made quite simply, mainly from sheep's milk, skimmed, squeezed dry. As a fresh cheese, you should eat Feta on the same day. Originating from the Mediterranean region, Feta is extremely suitable when eaten with vegetables and coastal fruits such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce... Feta baked with bread or pizza is also very delicious, mixed with fruit jam, chocolate will become a dream dessert, especially for children.

Brie – the queen of soft cheeses

A specialty of the Brie region of France, Brie cheese is made from fresh, unpasteurized cow's milk, so the flavor is very rich. Brie has an eye-catching bright yellow color, a rich, sweet taste like custard cream, covered with a powdery Penicillium mold crust. The crust is milk mold, so it is edible, you don't need to worry too much. Brie is suitable when paired with juicy fruits such as apples, grapes, pears; the most perfect for dinner parties is Brie with Black Truffle mushrooms - a luxurious, expensive spice because of its characteristic aromatic flavor.

Normally, wines like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Grenache are ideal companions. However, you will be surprised to know that people in the Brie region have the habit of dipping this cheese into milk coffee as a delicious breakfast dish. This reminds me of the old Saigonese coffee filter served with fried bread - a strange but interesting combination.

Banon goat's milk cheese - the beauty of the French countryside

Every region in France has its cheese specialties. Roquefort is famous for its strong Roquefort cheese, Morvan produces the rich, grassy-scented epoisse cheese, and the village of Banon in Provence is famous for its famous Banon cheese, made by hand from goat's milk.

Goat's milk produces the most flavorful cheeses that penetrate the taste buds of the connoisseur. Banon goat's milk cheese is definitely a special cheese that will add flavor to your Christmas party after enjoying Brie. Banon is different because it is not fermented overnight like other cheeses, but is fermented with a rapid curd. Therefore, Banon can be stored at room temperature instead of in the refrigerator. The small, palm-sized cheese wheels are wrapped in wine-soaked chestnut leaves, then left to ferment in a clay pot. Banon cheese has a slightly crispy outer shell. Cut a slice of Banon, and the soft, fluffy inside pours out like cream, spread on hot toast. Add a little music and let's raise a glass!

Farmhouse Cheddar – the chameleon of the world

If you are a fan of multi-layered hamburgers filled with cheese and meat, then Cheddar cheese is probably not strange to you. Cheddar cheese is named after the village of Cheddar in Somerset, southwest England, where there are many farms and caves. In the old days, when the cow's milk was harvested, farmers would ferment the milk, wrap it in straw, and place it in caves to make Cheddar cheese. Today, only Roquefort is the type of cheese that still retains this traditional processing method.

Cheddar is also nicknamed “mousetrap cheese” because it is so popular and common. However, Cheddar can bring you from one surprise to another with countless variations. Besides the usual Cheddar cheese pieces to put in sandwiches, or to eat with burgers, if you taste good Cheddar from farms, and famous brands, you can recognize the sour and fatty smell and the salty taste of crystallized protein in milk.

The longer Cheddar cheese is aged, the more delicious it becomes, with a rich, sweet flavor, with a hint of caramel and chestnut. People have also come up with many techniques such as smoking or adding new flavors to create smoked Cheddar, wine Cheddar, Cheddar with cherry or curry flavors, etc.

Stilton Blue Cheese – Pride of England

British cheese does not have as many varieties as French cheese, nor does it have as long a history as Greek cheese, but the British can still be proud of Stilton cheese - the blue cheese known as the best in the world.

Stilton may remind you of Taiwan’s famous stinky tofu, or durian. If you don’t know how to eat it, you won’t be able to handle its strong taste and pungent aroma. But once you try it, it’s hard to resist its indescribable charm.

Stilton is a blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk and has a powdery white rind and a strong flavor, characterized by its eye-catching blue veins created by a blue-grey fungus called Penicillium roqueforti. The British Cheese Association has cited research that suggests different cheeses seem to influence your dreams, with Red Leicester evoking homesickness and Stilton bringing on strange and vivid dreams. Try ending your year-end cheese feast with a Stilton blue cheese, and who knows, you might find yourself reliving childhood dreams of Santa Claus, adventure and glittering presents at the end of the journey.

You can find the above products at:

Annam Gourmet System

16 Hai Ba Trung, Ben Nghe, District 1, HCMC

Tel: 08.38229332

Classic Fine Foods System

17, Street 12, Binh An, District 2, HCMC

Tel: 08.37407105/ 06/ 07/ 08

Or enjoy a cheese buffet at:

Sofitel Saigon Hotel

17 Le Duan, District 1, HCMC.

The Thanh