The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-07
RAas OLD sT,LToN I,


Some Information About the Cheese by
which Every Engiishman swesrs.
What is the state and what are the pros
poets of Stiltonf The parish, formerly a
market town In the county of Huntingdon,
which has given itsnam 10 that which was
once the aristocratic and gastronomic
cheese "par excellence" has always been a
mart for cheese. The article vended here
is really made In Leicestershire, 90 miles
away, whereas Cheddar cheese is manufac-
itured at the place from which 1t takes its
designation, although the inhabitants OF
the little Somersetshire town bitterly COM
plain that an "a" has been foisted by mod
ern writers on the photography Of the last
syllable Of their home name. which is prop
erly "Chedder." In any case, it must be
admitted Cheddar or Chedder, although
universally acknowledged to be most
toothsome cheese, has never been coddled
and petted by the superior classes to the
extent which Stilton has enjoyed.
Rare old Stilton" is generally preferred
by epicures when green mold appears in
its texture. To accelerate this premature
decomposition pieces of moldy cheese are
sometimes inserted into holes made for the
purpose with a scoop. but the best cheeses
do not require this unhandsome treatment
and are in perfection when the inside be-
comes as soft as butter, without any ap-
pearance of moldiness. In making very
rich cheeses IL is canon of the dairy that
the whey should be allowed to run off very
slowly, because II 1t were forced rapidly 1t
might carry off a great deal of the fatty
matter of the cheese itself
Our fathers, on the other hand, used to
play on their own account a great many
fantastic tricks with their rare old Still
tons. Glasses Of port or of burgundy were
4 frequently poured into the cheese, and
l sometimes the article was placed under the
tap Of a cask Of strong ale, SO as to imbibe
the droppings thereof, and there are even
cases on record in which INSCRIPTIONS but
|, lers have striven to enhance the moldy as
pect OF the cheese by pushing into It cork
!, ing pins of brass or copper, thus engender-
7 ing the perilous presence of verdigris. It
: Is not quite impossible that some reason
for the decline in the popularity of Stilton
may be due to the circumstance that it was
!. formerly almost invariably eaten to the &C
compartment of port wine.
4 "a gentleman" observed Beau Brum-
: mel, always ports with his cheese" and
. port wine having gone to great extent
out OF fashion since smoking after dinner
became general at the very best tables
/, Stilton may have shared for time in the
!, temporary observation which darkens the
i bright chronicle of the vintage of Oporto.
\ 1t is curious fact nevertheless that when
! ever parcel Of remarkably fine port comes
+ on the market 1t is at once eagerly pur-
chased, and with regard to Stilton, who
) shall say that there are not yet secluded
temples Of gastronomy where hoary adopts
treat the fine old cheese with all its ira
:, ditional rites, including the moistenings by
i means Of port wine and strong ale, but
n sternly prohibiting, it is to be hoped, the
4 reprehensible practice of sticking ripen
l. ing cheese with corking pinsf-London
q Ielegraph.