Trius said:
Yup, and they make some fine cheese there. Ontario and Quebec make the best cheddars on this continent, IMO. The best I've ever had is 7-year from New Hamburg, Ontario. But if others want to prove me wrong, let me know of your intent and I'll PM you my address and you can send me a sample!
Ooops, I thought this was the food channel.
Earl
Earl,
To me, there is now such an amazing amount of high quality artisanal cheddar in Ontario, New York, Quebec and Vermont that it becomes impossible to determine a "best". Just this past weekend I was at a NYS food and wine tasting party at a local wine shop. Their fare included some incredible artisanal white cheddar from a local organic farm run by a private boarding school. Dismissing the major and regional "industrial" producers, there is now a growing cadre of artisans throughout our corner of North America such that it has become not a matter of "whose cheddar is better" but one of enjoying the local version because you know it will be very good.
I'm more interested now, in the "next step" of artisanal cheeses such as we're seeing here in the Hudson Valley of NYS. These are sheep and goat cheeses - the former being versions of Brie and Camambert etc. - the latter being Chevres, and even some local Fetas!
So far, our local producers are making nice soft cheeses - that are as good as the mass produced French Brie and Camambert "wheels" that have been around for decades. The problem is, their prices are very high for what is just "nice" cheese.
For my taste, it will be interesting to see if these artisanal producers can move to really distinctive "soft" cheeses. Of course, I'm not sure out "noses" are ready for the really "ripe" ones.
😕
Oh, BTW, I have no idea what is going on in Wisconsin. Like NY and VT in the past, I still associate it with mass produced "bland" cheese. But I have to imagine that there is also a growing "artisinal" movement in that locale.
Now I guess this only can remain on topic if I ask you to smile by saying: "CHEESE"
😀
