Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-08-11
some Information About the Cheese by
Which Every Engiishman Swears.

when Every tERlisnH1hh SWeaIss
What is the state and what are the pros
poets Of SIiiton2 The parish, formerly
market town in the county of Huntington,
which has given its name to that which was
once the aristocratic and gastr0nomio
cheese par excellence" has always been a
mart for cheese The article vended here
is really made in l4eicestershire, 20 miles
away, whereas Cheddar cheese ia manufac-
turtd at the place from which it takes its
Designations, although the inhabitants of
the little Somersetshire town bitterly com
plain hat an "a has been fOisted by mod
ern writers on the photography Of the last
syllable Of their home name, which IS prop
erly "Cheddern In any case, 1t must he
admitted Cheddar or Chedder although
universally acknowledged to be a most
tooth-one cheese, has never been codd!ed
and petted by the superior Glasses TO the
extent which Stilton has enjoyed. IT, -.-
Pare old otilton" is generally preferred
by epicures when green mold appears in
its texture. 10 accelerate this premature
decomposition pieces of mol. Y cheese are
sometimes inserted into holes made for the
purpose with Il scoop, but the best cheeses
80 not require this uuhandsome treatment
and are in perfection when the inside he
comes rs soft as butter, without any up
pearance Of moldiuess In making very
rich cheeses ii is canon of the dairy that
the whey should be allowed to run oil very
slowly, because if it were forced rapidly 1t
might carry of a great deal of the FATTY
matter Of the cheese itself. .--4. @4..
Our fathers, on the other hand, used to
play on their own account "A great many
fantastic tricks with their rare old still
tons, GlHssss Of port or of burgundy were
frequently poured into the cheese, and
sometimes the article was placed under the
tap of a cask Of strong ale, so rs to imbibe
the dropwnss thereof, aud there are even
cases ON record in which INSCRIPTIONS but
leg4 have striyen to enhance the moldy AS
reet of the cheese by pushing into it cork
Jug pins Of brass or copper, thus eugender
lug the periious presence of vertlisris 1t
Is not quite impossible that some reason
for the decline in the popularity of Stilton
may he due to the circumstance that it WAS
formerly almost invariably eaten tn the &C
compartment of port wine,
"a gentleman observed Beau Brum-
mel. "alMdya ports with his cheese" aud
port wine having gone to great extent
out of fashion since smoking after dinner
became general at the very best tables
Stiltou may have shared for time in the
temporary observation which darkens the
bright chronicle of the vintage of Dporto.
1t is a curious fact nevertheless that when
ever IL parcel Of remarkably fine port comes
on the market it is at once eagerly pur-
chased, and with regard to Stiiton, who
shall say that there are not yet secluded
temples of gastrunomy where hoary adopts
treat the fine old cheese with all its ira
ditioull rites, including the mOistenings by
means of port wine and strong ale, but
steraly prohibiting it is to be hoped. the
rvprehensble practice of sticking ripen-
ing cheese with corking pinsa--London
Telegraph