{"id":5002,"date":"2014-04-18T19:40:36","date_gmt":"2014-04-18T23:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=5002"},"modified":"2014-04-18T19:40:36","modified_gmt":"2014-04-18T23:40:36","slug":"counter-intelligence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/counter-intelligence\/","title":{"rendered":"Counter Intelligence"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was a When Harry Met Sally<\/cite> moment at the cheese counter. No, not that moment. The one right afterward, when a woman says, \u201cI\u2019ll have what she\u2019s having.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this case, I was happily munching on samples from my cheesemonger, asking about new arrivals, and making my selections, when I was approached by a young, obviously well-heeled couple. \u201cYou seem to know what you\u2019re doing,\u201d the man ventured shyly. \u201cWe\u2019d just like some cheese. Could you help us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Flummoxed, but happy to talk cheese\u2014even with total strangers\u2014I asked a few basic questions and made suggestions. Minutes later, they tracked me down in the sandwich line to say thanks. They\u2019d bought everything I\u2019d recommended.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a true story and a fond memory. But I wondered, how could this happen at a place where the only thing better than the cheese selection is the expert, solicitous staff? Truth was, that couple was more comfortable talking to a fellow shopper than to a cheese seller. Such a pity.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always found cheesemongers to be friendly, passionate, knowledgeable, and eager to help everyone from artisan aficionados to newbies weaned on Kraft singles. But successful cheese selling requires a dialogue, not a monologue. To help get the exchange going, here are some encouraging tips from cheesemongers:<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be intimidated.<\/h3>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to say the wrong thing,\u201d says Erin Amey, cheese and charcuterie buyer for Stinky Bklyn<\/a> in New York. \u201cEveryone says, \u2018I don\u2019t know how to talk about cheese,\u2019 but there\u2019s no right way to talk about cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n

Likewise, \u201cdon\u2019t be afraid to point or butcher names,\u201d says Aubrey Thomason, managing partner for Zingerman\u2019s Creamery<\/a> in Ann Arbor, Michigan. \u201cDon\u2019t take the cheese so seriously!\u201d<\/p>\n

Be honest when sampling.<\/h3>\n

\u201cSamples get a conversation going,\u201d says Siobhan Ryan of The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills<\/a>. \u201cYour reaction tells us a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ask about what\u2019s in season.<\/h3>\n

If you don\u2019t ask, then you might miss out on amazing annual specialties, such as Vacherin Mont d\u2019Or<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Draw on your experience.<\/h3>\n

\u201cI believe everyone has some idea of what they want\u2014 an image, texture, taste, or cultural memory,\u201d says Christian Petty, assistant manager for Surdyk\u2019s<\/a> in Minneapolis. \u201cI want people to tell me what they have experienced, have liked and not liked, and what they\u2019ve read about or heard about that interests them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Explain your desired experience.<\/h3>\n

Which textures do you seek? Soft and runny, or drier and more crystalline? Breakable and crumbly, or more easily sliceable with a knife? \u201cI always ask if they\u2019re in the mood for something soft or hard, and normally, people at least have an answer for that, so we go from there,\u201d Amey says.<\/p>\n

Keep it simple.<\/h3>\n

Forget snobby, <cite.Sideways-type talk. \u201cI want people to tell me flavors using simple descriptors,\u201d Petty says. \u201cIs it buttery, acidic (sharp), pungent, earthy, nutty, or sweet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Be as definitive as possible.<\/h3>\n

Amey recalls a customer request for \u201cdusty\u201d cheese (translation: earthy). Her recommendations: Tomme de Savoie<\/a> or musty<\/em> Tomme Crayeuse<\/a>. Another request: a cheese that \u201chad spent a long time in a cave,\u201d Her recommendation: Ch\u00e4llerhocker<\/a>. She also notes that \u201ceverybody has a different idea of what \u2018sharp\u2019 is,\u201d adding that customers could mean tongue-prickling cheddar or an aged goat cheese. \u201cSo I ask if they want something stinky, or caramel-y, or sweet. Once we narrow it down, I give them a taste to see if we\u2019re on track.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talk about your likes.<\/h3>\n

\u201cIf you say, \u2018I don\u2019t know anything; I only eat cheddar,\u2019 we start with tastes of something that\u2019s a cheddar style, but a little further out in flavor,\u201d Ryan says. It\u2019s often a matter of bridging familiarity and novelty. Similarly, if you\u2019ve been eating Jarlsberg<\/a> for 20 years, say so. \u201cYou have to probe around a bit,\u201d Ryan says. \u201cPeople get into flavor ruts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mention your new favorites.<\/h3>\n

Share what you like now versus what you started out liking; it clues cheesemongers in to the evolution of your palate.<\/p>\n

Ask for the cheesemonger\u2019s preference.<\/h3>\n

It builds rapport and often leads to delightful discoveries. Moreover, your cheesemonger is likely to be able to recommend beverage pairings and accompaniments for a cheese if it\u2019s among his or her personal favorites.
\nThink beyond price. \u201cWhat we get quite a bit is, \u2018What\u2019s the most expensive cheese?\u2019\u201d Ryan says, noting the \u201cBeverly Hills factor.\u201d You may not like the most expensive one. Conversely, if you always go for the frugal choice, perhaps treat yourself to a smaller piece of something more spendy.<\/p>\n

The bottom line?<\/h3>\n

\u201cYou know more about what you like than the cheesemonger,\u201d Thomason says. \u201cHelp them help you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tips for the timid on talking to a cheesemonger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"coauthors":[104],"class_list":["post-5002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cheese-iq"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCounter Intelligence - culture: the word on cheese<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tips for the timid on talking to a cheesemonger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/counter-intelligence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Counter Intelligence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tips for the timid on talking to a cheesemonger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/counter-intelligence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"culture: the word on cheese\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/grantgbradley\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-04-18T23:40:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/counterintelligence_featured.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"605\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"270\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Robin Watson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Robin Watson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/counter-intelligence\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/counter-intelligence\/\",\"name\":\"Counter Intelligence - 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