A cheesy haven

By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ

CHEESE lovers should drop by O’ Gourmet’s Cheese Room, the first walk-in fromagerie with over 100 varieties of cheeses from around the world at Bangsar Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

The chilled room, strictly maintained at 2°C to 4°C, is not only a haven for cheese lovers but also a great place to learn about cheese as well.

It is the perfect temperature to store cheese as it keeps it in the correct form.


“Anything below that can freeze the cheese and above that can melt it. To maintain the freshness when you store it in your fridge, pack the cheese in plastic cling wrap to prevent it from getting dry,” he said.

Gourmet wine and cheese consultant Sebastien Le Francois is available at the Cheese Room from 3pm to 6pm every day except on Sundays to take enquiries on cheese and wines.

“Cheese is like wine too. Both products are left to mature. Everyone has a favourite and every cheese differs in taste as there are many factors that influence it,” he said, at the launch of the Cheese Room recently.



The factors include milk source, production location and weather. While some cheese may not taste good when it is newly opened, it gets better as it matures. Cheeses made from cow, sheep or buffalo milk also have distinct tastes.

“Cheese made using milk from animals near the mountains and the sea will have different tastes too. It also depends on the season. Milk may taste different during the winter as the cows feed on preserved food compared to summer when they feed on fresh grass in the meadows.

“The difference in milk will influence the taste of the cheese,” he said.


There are also different ways of making cheese that appeal to a variety of cooking and personal preferences.

“Some are pressed and some are mouldy. In France, there are more than 365 types of cheese and you can have a different flavour everyday,” said Francois, adding that cheese could be used in pasta and pizzas, or can be eaten on its own or with bread, as it was packed with calcium.

He also explained why people drank red wine with cheese, although white wines also brought out cheese flavours well.

“Cheese is normally served after the main course, which is often taken with reds. So most people would just carry on with the red for their cheese. Besides, it is difficult to switch to white from red,” he said.

Source: http://kuali.com/news/story.aspx?file=/2010/11/26/ku_inthenews/7449013&sec=ku_inthenews

Here's a special video of cheese.