Around Europe in Varieties of Cheese

As part of their #EuropeHomeOfCheese campaign, the Austrian and French Dairy Boards, in conjunction with the European Commission, co-hosted a cheese tasting soiree at the Olive Bar & Kitchen in Delhi on September 13, 2022. On offer were delicious varieties of French and Austrian cheese, including brie, camembert, and blue cheese, among others; sourced straight from the land of cheese – Europe.Cheese Specialist Francois Robin during EU Cheese WorkshopCNIEL Director (National Interprofessional Center of the Dairy Economy, France), Laurent Damiens, who was in attendance at the soiree, described it as a humble attempt to showcase the diversity, quality, legacy, and inimitable taste of these dairy-based gems produced in Europe to the key stakeholders in India. “Each and every cheese presented at this event were a result of traditional know-how and processes that have evolved over time to meet new sustainability challenges, and one of the strictest quality controls, and standards in the world.”Cheese BuffetAt the event, Francois Robin, an award-winning cheesemonger from France, took the guests through each product, educated them about the varieties, their flavour profiles, and spoke about pairing types of European cheese with Indian ingredients. Guests took notes as Robin shared achievable ideas on how to incorporate that exciting range of cheese in Indian cooking, shared tips on cooking cheese, and key points to remember when pairing these dairy-based items with other foods.Prior to this exciting epicurean experience, an educational workshop was organised for food bloggers and enthusiasts to showcase flavour profile and versatility of European cheese. At the core of these sessions were specially curated recipes developed by Robin.”Both French and Austrian range of cheese boast of the potential to add impeccable flavour to any dish, stimulate your senses and tantalise your tastebuds – you just need to pair them right. What’s crucial here is experimenting – you must be open to experimentation and pairing ingredients without reservations. And that way you’ll not only be able to enjoy cheese on a platter but beyond,” Robin shares. Europe is well known for its love for producing and eating cheese, and it is home to more than 1000 varieties of the same. Many of the most popular varieties of cheese come from the continent, and there, they are a part of people’s daily diet.