Evening star., 1941-02-10
Know Your
American
Cheeses
This Hemisphere
Now Producing
Fine Varieties
By Betsy CasweH,
Wow, Flitor


worars Editor.
Some months sgo gourmets of
this country awoke to the sad reali-
Yation that many of the wonderful
cheeses imported from Europe, and
hitherto taken pretty much for
granted. were no longer available.
In a few instances, large stocks
laid in before war cut off ship
ments kept the supply in this coun-
try going for a while-the very last
of the real Edam cheeSes from
Holland are being sold now, and a
few are still obtainable in local
specially stores-but this only post
poned the evil day, when such cpl
curean delights would be no more.
Experts in the world of fine din
ing began turning their attention
TO domestic cheeses, and to those
produced by other countries of the
Western Hemisphere. as possible
substitutes for the European varie-
ties. And they have met with un-
believable SucceSS-So great, in fact
that I am inclined to doubt if the
Old World will ever resume its su-
premacy along these lines.
For instance. our own Wisconsin
Is producing some of the finest,
smoothest Baby Goudas" that one
could find anywhere. Also from
Wisconsin comes delicious, firm tex
tured Swiss cheese (the kind with
holes, and excellent Edams are
made by the Swiss colony of that
State.
Domes Camembert, long
snubbed by gourmets. is coming into
its own, with improved production
methods. and a better understand
ing of the proper ways to keep and
serve it. Buy the kind that comes
in a whole round-not in sections.
if you want to be really smart-and
let the cheese stand. in its box
in a room of average but steady
temperature for at least "a hours.
You will find that the "rind' turns
the traditional brown, and that the
cheese is soft. almost runny, and
has the familiar bite and tang
of the original French Camembert.
Whatever you do. don't serve Ca
membert right out of the ice box
in fact no cheese should be insulted
by such frosty treatment.
Scandinavian cheeses are made
IN the Northwest. with tremendous
success. Domestic Pont l'Eveque and
Brie are good cheeses in their own
right. although they do not greatly
resemble the types from which they
take their names. The delicious
cheddar-type cheese, with black
rind, from the Mohawk Valley in
New York State. has always been
favorite among those who know.
and should be ranked among the
top American cheeses today. The
sharp pineapple" cheese, of in
comparable flavor. is available in
several sizes and is decorative as
well as tasty.
From Argentina comes wonder
ful Gorgonzola. and Argentina
Bleu" to take the place of the
CllIIl budlIlN anu
Goudas, too. come from our south
ern neighbor and are said to be
excellent, although I have not yet
tried them personally. The "Bleu."
though, I know to be wonderful.
Canada contributes the fine Trap
pist cheeses. and good English type
Cheddars. And there is a fine Bel
Paese and several other Italian
Cheeses. made right here in the
United States, that are hard to dis
tinguish from the imported products.
So, to add to the roster of familiar
domestic cheeses. you will find new
friends coming along that deserve
your attention, Learn to treat them
with understanding and care; serve
them in the grand manner" with
French bread, or pumpernickel, or
toasted water crackers Make an
occasion of these products of the
Western Hemisphere and learn to
know them all. The old order
hangeth'-even where cheeses are
concernedl