“The variety and quality of Canadian cheeses has never been so high nor has it been so popular,” writes Kathy Guidi in her 2014 book, Canadian Cheese: A Guide. Cheese festivals, cheese tastings, cheese trails, cheese awards and specialty cheese shops continue to raise the profile of the incredible range of cheeses available.
Cheese has a long history dating back thousands of years. It is believed to have been created by accident when nomadic people stored milk from livestock in animal stomachs for transport. The resident rennet bacteria in the stomach converted the fresh milk into curds and whey.
In the millennia since then, cheesemaking methods have evolved with thousands of different kinds of cheese now available worldwide.
Canada is now taking its place on the world cheese stage. Some of these handcrafted cheeses are made using traditional Old-World styles while others use innovative new approaches to cheesemaking.
“There are a number of really good local cheeses,” says Liz Payne, owner of Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop in Stratford, Ontario. Payne carries cheeses from all over Ontario and many from Quebec. She tries to have every province represented although currently there isn’t anything available from Newfoundland.
Cheese from the United States and Europe round out the selection, says Payne, noting that her customers often come in asking for cheeses they have sampled in restaurants.
The cheeses Payne sells aren’t limited to the cow’s milk variety. She also sells cheese made from the milk of sheep, goat and water buffalo.
“I love cheese because it’s a visually beautiful thing,” says Payne who launched her specialty cheese shop nine years ago. “It’s colourful, with many different shapes and textures that appeal to my senses.”
Cheese can be categorized in a couple of ways; the first categorization is by texture: soft, semi-soft, firm or hard; the other is by style of cheese. Some examples include washed rind, blue cheese, Brie-style (with a white rind) or fresh vs. aged.
Cheese can be categorized in a couple of ways, explains Payne, who has trained as a Maître de Fromage (Cheese Master). The first categorization is by texture: soft, semi-soft, firm or hard. The other is by style of cheese; some examples include washed rind, blue cheese, Brie-style (with a white rind) or fresh vs. aged.
Cheese platters are great for sharing and entertaining. When serving cheese, Payne recommends serving three varieties for a small number of guests: one soft, one harder one and a flavoured one. “You don’t want to overwhelm their palates,” she says.
For fifteen or more guests, Payne recommends serving about five kinds of cheese.
Along with the cheese, Payne likes to serve dried fruit such as figs or dates, nuts like walnuts, meat such as a dried sausage and also something sweet like a chutney. Cheddar and red pepper jelly makes a nice combination, she says. She also likes to drizzle a salty cheese with honey for a sweet and salty effect.
Payne prefers serving cheese with a French-style baguette but if you like the crunch of a cracker she suggests serving cheese with a simple water cracker. One exception is sharp cheddar cheese which can be served with a spicier cracker. She also likes blue cheese served with digestive biscuits.
“The cracker is a vehicle to get the cheese to the mouth. The softness of the cheese contrasts with the crunch of the cracker,” says Payne.
If serving cheese as a snack, Payne recommends 125-150 grams per person as a good suggested serving size. If it’s part of a lunch menu, about 50 grams per person is usually enough.
In general, cheese should be brought to room temperature prior to serving to “let it open up,” says Payne. Cheddar cheese is an exception and should be served cold.
For storing your cheeses, Payne recommends a two-layer system of wax paper as the inner wrapper with plastic “cling” wrap on the outside. Cheese is best stored at a temperature of around 3-4 degrees C.
Payne is adamant that not all cheese is created equal. She asserts you can taste the difference between a quality cheese made with whole milk and an inferior one made with modified milk ingredients, adding, “It’s like the old saying: cheap cheese ain’t good and good cheese ain’t cheap. You get what you pay for.”
And when you buy from a specialty store, you’ll get service, product knowledge and fresher stock, says Payne.
If you want to learn more about Canada’s cheese scene, check out:
Canadian Cheese: A Guide (2nd edition). This book by Kathy Guidi is a comprehensive guide to Canadian artisan cheeses and includes tasting notes for 225 artisan cheeses from coast to coast.
You’ll find cheesemakers listed by province on the government of Canada website at
http://cheese-fromage.agr.gc.ca/pml-lmp_eng.cfm
- Helen Lammers-Helps