“I had this cheese last time I was here and I can’t remember…”
“I had this cheese last time I was here and I can’t remember…”
This is the most common phrase uttered by a customer at the cheese shop where I’m a cheesemonger in northern CA. (Actually, the most common phrases are probably “I’d like something nutty” and “I don’t know anything about cheese,” but those are future blogs.) My focus here and now is on those who buy cheese regularly and just can’t remember what cheese they loved last time – and ways that this can be addressed.
I know customers who keep the labels of the cheeses, dig them out of their handbag or wallet then hold them up to the cheesemonger with a proud grin. That’s a good way to get that same cheese, without a doubt. I’ve also seen little notebooks with meticulous scribblings about different cheeses that are whipped out and researched, with new notes added while tasting and prior to selecting a new batch of cheeses. And there are a few higher-tech folks who use the cameras on their phones to photograph the cheese they like along with its label, which is a brilliant idea and a great way to remember. At our shop, we have a computerized system that can record the customer’s name and purchases with a date of sale, and that is easy enough to download for the customer. But it doesn’t add those extra notes about preference, it takes a bit of fiddly extra time, and when the computer system decides to go on strike (which happens with remarkable frequency, just at our busiest moments), the game’s up.
With all of this in mind and noting that customers really DO want to try to learn and remember cheeses, I came up with The Box. It’s simply a little filing box with alphabetical inserts and 5” x 7” lined index cards. Here’s how it works: You take a new index card, write your name at the top (last name first) then keep a listing of ‘your’ cheeses on the card with whatever notes you’d like to keep alongside. Then you file it alphabetically so you can find it again next visit. Some people have created their own personal rating systems for the cheeses. Others have noted family members who are partial to this cheese or that. Most make at least a comment about the milk type or the flavor. Because we’re in wine country, pairings are de riguer…and we have winery folks who keep their cards updated with new vintages and new pairings which they use over and over.
So now when a customer utters those simple words, “I had this cheese last time but I don’t remember…,” we hand them The Box. They smile and feel comforted. They aren’t alone! And when they look inside and see how many people keep their own cards and realize the world of cheese tasting, learning and sharing that’s out there to dive into, eyes light up.
The fact of the matter, though, is that it really doesn’t matter that you don’t remember your cheese. That’s why there are cheesemongers. We live to introduce you to NEW cheeses, not just cut the same cheese for you week after week. Yes, it’s a good idea to learn what you like and don’t like, and I think The Box is tremendous for the more assiduous cheese learners. But honestly, those of us who live, breathe and serve cheese for a living would be out of work if you learn too much…
Lassa Skinner
Oxbow Cheese Merchant, Napa, CA
10.15.10
culture: the word on cheese
Eh? Cheesemonger?
What's a “cheesemonger”?
I’ve been told by so many that they absolutely LOVE the term, that it is such a kick to read my title on my business card. Apart from the loveliness of the term, however, there is actually a straightforward meaning to this title.
A "monger," as Wiktionary defines it, is “a dealer in a specific commodity, normally used in combination.” (For the record, it’s also “a person promoting something undesireable, always used in combination,” but for our purposes here it is DEFINITELY the former…) And “to monger” is “to sell or peddle something.” So, since my commodity is cheese, I’m someone who deals in cheese and I monger cheese daily to all who want to purchase it.
This is quite a broad definition that, I feel, needs a more accurate definition for what those of us “commodity dealers of cheese” feel is a fairly noble profession. Being a cheesemonger may not have the impact on society as a doctor, nurse or teacher—but I can assure you that most of what a good cheesemonger does is education on a daily basis as well as a lot of human caretaking. I’ll be even bolder and say that it’s a tougher role here in the U.S. (and possibly Australia & New Zealand) because most Americans grew up without a cheese culture. So the myriad styles of cheese, the different milks, the various stages of ripeness are all areas of confusion for most of us who were raised on local cheddar or the nearby grocery store with an extra-cold refrigerated aisle filled with milk-based products as our cheese selection.
My point with this is that being a cheesemonger has levels of expectation and responsibility, similar to those of a wine merchant or butcher. To be a good cheesemonger—and one would hope that there’s a desire to as good as one can be at whatever you’re doing—you must learn about cheese in every way you possibly can so that you can tell whomever walks through your door what s/he needs to know in order to make an informed decision and be happy enough to come back again and again for your mongering skills. We all know good sales people but with something edible, there really isn’t any fudge-room. You either do it well and gain your customer’s trust…or you go out of business.
The cheesemongering profession is definitely gaining momentum and, with that, there’s the promise of a much stronger cheese infrastructure worldwide. There is an biannual International Caseus Award contest held in Lyon, France (in 2011, it is January 22-26: ) started by renown cheesemonger and affineur Herve Mons, and this is a competition that raises the profile of cheesemongers everywhere by testing skills as well as knowledge. And the American Cheese Society has just started to flesh out a process for cheesemongers to be certified so there will be a standard that we can attain and further levels to aspire to. We’ve come a long way, baby!
So, what makes a good cheesemonger? The ability to listen. The honest desire to help. The ability to change someone’s mind then end up making his day. A broad education on cheeses and knowledge of cheesemaking and nutritional/health aspects of cheese. The ability to make suggestions about menu, event layout and amounts, beverage pairing, storage needs (a food background really helps!). And above all else, of course: an unflagging love of cheese.
Next up for me: The symbiotic relationship between a cheesemonger and a cheesemaker. Watch for it in two weeks!
Lassa Skinner
Oxbow Cheese Merchant (Napa, CA), and culture: the word on cheese
Lassa Skinner culture: the word on cheese
But I remember something about that cheese...
I buy new cheese weekly and taste several different cheeses before making a purchase. Although I may reject a cheese one week, I will be intrigued enough by its flavor or something the cheesemonger relays to me about the cheese to seek it out on a future trip. The phrase you mentioned is very familiar to me! I often cannot remember the name of a cheese sampled once 2-3 weeks prior, but if the cheesemonger tells me something about that cheese that distinguishes it from the others in their case, most often I remember those characteristics. It can be the milk treatment, something unusual about the rind, or the producer, or the location of production. The most helpful information I receive is that which allows me to create a visual image about the cheese's production--it may be complete fantasy, but this allows me to unspool that image on my next visit to the shop and provide enough information to locate the desired cheese. Thanks for your post! I am keen on learning how to be a better shopper and partner to the cheesemongers I visit.
Lassa's filing system
That is so retro. And easy. I spend all day on the computer. I use my iPhone when I'm not at work. And sometimes I just want to look at pen on paper. Easy. Instant. Always there.
Are there any good cheese mnemonics you use?
Every Good Boy Deserves Fontina?
Are there any regular mnemonic sayings you use at the shop to keep things straight? Are they completely scandalous?
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