What makes a great cheese?

At Cheesetique we have hundreds of cheeses, each chosen for a specific reason, from flavor to color to story. With so many cheeses, how do we answer the question, “What makes a great cheese?”

I decided to go right to the experts: the amazingly talented folks of Cheesetique. I asked each one the simple question, “What makes a great cheese?” And here is what they said…

• Thomas (Store Director): “Depth of flavor. It has an initial flavor that develops into something else.”
• Charisse (Bartender): “Flavorful, not too funky.”
• Ellie (Cheesemonger): “The perfect balance of sweet and salty.”
• Ross (Server): “Flexible. Both physically and within the cuisine.” (I’m not quite sure what he means by “physically flexible” – does it need to be able to do a back bend?)
• Angel (Manager): “Starts from the ground up and is taken care of every step of the way from the dairy to the creamery to the customer and gives you a sense of place.” (Angel wins for the most beautiful answer delivered so smoothly you would think he’d practiced it.)
• Moe (Kitchen Supervisor): “To me, the texture. A lot of cheeses I don’t like just because the texture is wrong.”
• Jeff (my husband): If it’s called “Mt. Tam,” “Beemster Gouda,” or “Shropshire Blue,” it’s a great cheese. (For the record, he had the most trouble answering this question. It was like pulling teeth. Perhaps Angel could tutor him.)

So that settles it. A “great cheese” has depth of flavor, lack of funkiness, balance, flexibility, a sense of place, pleasant texture, and it may or may not be named “Mt. Tam.” There you go!