What is it about cheese

[soupfiend]

Why do we love it so much, is there a scientific reason?

Tons of threads about cheese, tons of cheese in the fridge (at the moment), but why is it so great?

I view it as a superfood

Sorry if this has already been mentioned upthread but has anyone yet tried the M&S burrata with nduja? Rate it? Thinking of getting one for new year

So that's 4. You're disqualified

We've decided to make our own come the summer

Opened this thread as I'm just stopped casually eating half a block of smoked aged cheese as a snack!

*just stood 🙄

Surely that's one food you can eat? It won't affect your glucose levels.

Yes it is actually a scientific thing. It's the casein - upon digestion, it releases an opiate called casomorphin.

It's all about that dopamine!!

Could do with some cheese now actually. 🧀🧀🧀

Just inspired me to get the cheese out. Vintage cheddar is my favourite.

It would have to be something that is good to eat as it is but also for cooking. Hard to beat a really good strong crunchy cheddar as an all rounder.

(Other contenders would be Parmesan and Gruyère)

This cheddar from Aldi is bloody lovely

It's to do with casein, the stuff that's designed for a baby cow. So your brain gets a rush of addiction, it's weird if you think about it.

I have some rather lovely smoked Red Fox on the go. I love Camembert but my god it's stinky. You have to eat it at room temperature ( not baked, never baked) and the smell has permeated the entire house!
I quite often have a cheese plate, with some crackers, chutneys and fruit for my dinner.

Never heard of it either. I’m in Australia. Here it’s prawns, ham and pavlova. Cheese would melt in the summer heat if you left it out of the fridge for long.

@dynamiccactus Lactose intolerant people also need a trigger warning. Stupid digestive system.

No it's not stale bread...it's crusty, to allow for a pleasing bite; so a freshly baked ciabatta/baguette or boule. Something like that.

Cheese is one of the great foods of life, and a cheeseboard makes a wonderful end to a meal.

Mmmmmm cheese. We've been quite restrained this year...we only have 6 varieties (I think? Might be one or two more). Plus our usual staple, mature cheddar.

Just had our annual Xmas Eve cheese board/antipastui meal. I ate most of a baked Camembert 😁 i have got a whole VERY stinky reblochon out though so definitely pro stink in this house!

6 is rookie level - we have that in a normal week 😂
Cheddar, goat’s cheese, a blue, Parmesan, feta, paneer, cream cheese are the minimum.

My best cheese Christmas was when we had 17 different kinds of cheese. It was awesome.

Baron Bigod Brie is my very best special occasion cheese (we have a 250g one for Christmas)

But for day to day I would have to go for an extra mature cheddar as the most handy workhorse cheese.

I just remembered the cake my parents had for their 40th anniversary - a cheese cake. As in several wheels of cheese on top of each other like a layered wedding cake. The perfect cake!

My favourite was manchego but if/when I go to Spain I always bring a massive wheel back and then eat so much I actually get sick of it and can't touch it for a while. I never get sick of an extra mature cheddar and I also love goats cheese.

I like the sound of a workhorse cheese

Oh god I just love cheese so much. I agree it's the combination of salt and fat and often umami notes.... plus the endless variety and then if you have it with crackers and chutney, or grapes and bread etc you are getting that salty, sweet, slightly sour combination.

So hard to pick a favourite but I think I'd learn towards gorgonzola. I like the slightly runnier blue cheeses best.

We are at 14 types of cheeseboard cheese in the fridge at the moment 🤣

Aged cheddar with salt crystals
Double Gloucester
Delice de Bourgogne
Gorgonzola
Roquefort
Stilton
Blacksticks Blue
Goats cheese
Manchego
Swaledale
Brie
Camembert
Morbier
Boursin

Plus cream cheese, halloumi and standard mature cheddar for everyday cooking.

@GameOfJones - I’ve got Delice de Bourgogne, Gorgonzola and a Ribblesdale (nearly Swaledale, isn’t it) as well! I wonder if we go to the same cheesemonger?

I wonder if it stems back to when we were less evolved mammals and would bury our food. And we retained the craving for rotting protein

I know someone who, about once a month, takes his small children to their local posh cheese shop, where they choose a cheese they've never tried before, and take it home with much ceremony for Interesting Cheese Day.

This is next level parenting as far as I'm concerned.

Is there room in your house for me please?
I worked on the cheese counter at a farm shop deli when I was a student. We specialised in British cheeses, it was a most excellent job 😁 And I still cut cheese to specific weights 😄