France is world-famous for their cuisine, and no food from here may be more renowned than French cheese. Each region of France produces particular varieties, and strict protocols govern their production. The result is that many distinct French cheeses exist, each with a patently unique flavor profile. This week, we had the privilege of being able to sample a broad selection of French cheeses at the Fromagerie Jouannault.
The first round of cheese tasting, featuring Ashley Affineur, cheesemaker and connoisseur
Modern demand for French cheese has created a unique problem. The market is being forced to mass produce popular varieties, and at times these formerly strict protocols have been compromised. An example of this issue is the contemporary production of Camembert cheese, a variety we studied for its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective effects (Ano et al.). Traditionally, Camembert is produced from raw milk in small batches, but now some mass production is occurring using pasteurized cheese. This compromises the flavor profile and reduces the integrity of the variety’s brand.
However, we were fortunate enough to be able to sample varieties produced in small batches via traditional methods and aged in the very cellar you can see in the picture above. The difference in flavor from your run-of-the-mill supermarket cheese was nothing short of astounding.
This is due to the terroir of each cheese (i.e. all the geographically-specific environmental attributes and particular farming practices that contribute to the observed phenotype of a particular crop). Recent research has suggested that even particular microbes used in the cheesemaking process should be included in these legally recognized sets of characteristics (Capozzi and Spano). I believe that each unique terroir should be protected more rigorously, because, regardless of demand, quality should not be compromised.
We spent the last week discussing how the fermentation process of certain cheeses (viz. Camembert) produces compounds that reduce inflammation in the microglia of the brain, reducing neurodegeneration (the destruction seen as a result of conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia, or in lesser degrees as a result of natural aging). Keeping the processes of making different varieties of cheeses rigorously standardized can allow researchers to isolate compounds and manufacturing processes that can produce certain powerful health effects. Were traditional varieties of cheese compromised by increasingly differing methods as a result of mass production, then it would be vastly more difficult to pinpoint what exactly causes the health effects observed from certain cheeses.
Therefore, it was an incredible experience to be able to learn about the rich history of cheesemaking and gain an appreciation for cheeses from different creative processes that had totally different flavors. Learning about the role that microbes have in our food production and subsequent brain health was also incredible and extremely relevant.
References
Ano Y, Kutsukake T, Hoshi A, Yoshida A, Nakayama H. (2015). Identification of a Novel Dehydroergosterol Enhancing Microglial Anti- Inflammatory Activity in a Dairy Product Fermented with Penicillium candidum. PLoS ONE 10(3): e0116598. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116598
Capozzi, V. & Spano, G. (2011). Food microbial biodiversity and “Microbes of protected origin”. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2, 237. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2011.00237