The English can be particular about their cheese. As with all aspects of life, this enthusiasm is reflected in their fiction. In an episode of the sitcom “Chef!” Gareth Blackstock strives to assemble the perfect meal for another world-famous chef who will be visiting his restaurant. He feels so strongly about this that he threatens to fire his usual cheese provider unless the man can secure for him some unpasteurized Stilton to serve at the end of the meal. Gareth ends up leaving lunch preparations to his staff as he drives out to meet with a farmer who still makes this quintessential English cheese that has recently been “banned by the government.” In an episode of “To The Manor Born,” the retired Brigadier drives to his local train station. There he waits for the afternoon train, which is bringing him not a friend or family member, but a specially ordered head of Stilton from London. Sure, he could have purchased a wedge from the local supermarket, but he wants the entire head so that he can pour a bottle of Port into it. (Even though the government tells him that it’s not good for him!) And in “A Grand Day Out,” when the cupboards run bare of his beloved Wensleydale, Wallace and Grommit build a rocket ship and travel to the moon. For, as we all know, the moon is made of cheese, right?
The staff at Neal’s Yard Dairy answered all our questions about the various cheeses we wished to try. Stilton, Wensleydale, even Cheddar: the government has strict laws governing each. The cheese must come from farms in a certain region of the country to bear a particular name, they can only be sold so many days or weeks after being made, etc. With Stilton, the decision has been made that all Stilton must be pasteurized in order to bear the famous name. But, due to the desire of cheese enthusiasts such as Gareth Blackstock, Neal’s Yard Dairy sells a variety called Stichelton. They can’t call it unpasteurized Stilton: that would be illegal. But everyone knows what it is, and those with discerning palates know where to find it.
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| We scour London for fine, English cheese |
When I was a child, I tried Blue Cheese dressing and disliked it. Perhaps once or twice I was given salad with crumbled Blue Cheese on it, and again, disliked it. But I steeled myself, sampled the Stilton and the Stichelton, and found that I liked both. Since I’ve come home, I’ve purchased imported Stilton and found I enjoy it in the morning on toast or an English Muffin. I’ve bought burgers in restaurants with domestically produced Blue Cheese in them and savored the flavor. I’ve even tried Blue Cheese dressing and found I no longer dislike it. It would seem that in the past few decades (and for no particular reason) my tastes have matured to the point where I can enjoy Blue Cheese. Or could it be that I was so struck by Gareth Blackstock and the Brigadier’s passion for Stilton that I forced myself to thoughtfully reconsider the cheese’s entire flavor, rather than merely reacting its strong, initial bite. Either way, I’m grateful to Gareth and the Brigadier for inspiring me to give Stilton another try. Through them, I have made a surprising discovery: I now love Blue Cheese.
I wonder what else I could learn from these fictional characters, were I only to try.
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