Le Meridien holds another cheese festival<\/p>\n
By Tim Cooper<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It's not always easy to find great cheese in
\nIndonesia. The annual Cheese Festival at Le Meridien Hotel, is
\ntherefore a popular event. By the number of people who attended
\nthe launch party of this year's festival, held from the June 6 to
\nJune 14, looks as if it will be no exception.<\/p>\n
This is the fifth time the hotel has hosted the event and the
\nthird time that this year's festival Cheese Master, Claude
\nLauxerrois, has brought cheeses to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The 30 cheeses which Lauxerrois is presenting were chosen
\naccording to season, his own taste and experience of local taste
\nfrom previous festivals.<\/p>\n
Cheeses available here are not as strong as they might be.
\nLauxerrois admits that due to Jakarta's lack of exposure to
\nstrong cheeses, he has toned down the smell, flavor and even
\ncoloring of his selection this year.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, many of them give off a heady aroma and some are
\nstill extremely pungent to taste or leave a strong aftertaste.
\nAccording to Le Meridien general manager Jean-Louis Ripoche, most
\ncheeses we buy from the shops are, by legal necessity,
\npasteurized. However, he said: "You say pasteurized to a World
\nCheese Master and he turns blue" because the process kills much
\nof the bacteria that are necessary to produce flavor.<\/p>\n
Brice Borin, executive chef at Le Meridien says, "These
\nspecial cheeses are only fit to be eaten within a short period of
\ntime, perhaps four weeks. It takes a master who understands the
\ncomplete process of cheese making -- fermentation, bacteria
\ngrowth etc., -- to tell by touch, smell or taste what the right
\ntime is", especially when the cheeses then have to be packed up
\nand carted halfway around the world before they are eaten.<\/p>\n
Lauxerrois, who is one of the top ten Cheese Masters in the
\nworld, said that this year's festival will be different from last
\nyear's because there are now spring cheeses (for example,
\nVacherin, Comte and Emmenthal) which are prepared in different
\nconditions to the autumn cheeses which were available last year
\n(the 1999 event was held in October).<\/p>\n
The selection is available at La Brasserie, which is open from
\n11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. for
\ndinner. A full buffet lunch, including cheese, costs Rp 99,000,
\nor if you like you can just have the cheese at Rp 75,000.<\/p>\n
Dining is accompanied by the affable strains of organ grinder,
\nGilles Butin's, traditional French street music.<\/p>\n
And so to the main attraction.<\/p>\n
The cheeses are grouped according to family and there is a
\nwide variety to suit every taste.<\/p>\n
There are the blue cheeses, the excellent Roquefort, for
\nexample. This is the most expensive cheese on the list because,
\nlike any real Roquefort, it is made only from sheep's milk which
\nyou get less of per animal than from cows or goats.<\/p>\n
There are several smelly goat's cheeses, for example Chavignol
\nand St. Maure which is rolled in ash for extra smell and flavor.
\nThe wood used for the ash is a secret (as indicated by the Cheese
\nMaster tapping the end of his proud Gallic nose).<\/p>\n
There are two brash and coarsely-textured Corsican cheeses
\n(also rolled in ash and in herbs) as perhaps befits the products
\nof Napoleon's birthplace.<\/p>\n
For the more delicate palate, there are some delicious creamy
\ncheeses such as Pont L'Eveque, Livarot and (Butin's favorite)
\nChaource.<\/p>\n
Then, of course, there are traditional and much-copied
\nfavorites like Brie and Camembert.<\/p>\n
A unique cheese, favored by Borin, is the Epoisses from
\nBurgundy. This is left to soak in a few drops of local white
\ngrape liquer giving the crust a particular flavor. The inside is
\nvery soft, however, and has such a delicate texture that it will
\nstart to run after only a few hours out of the box in a warm
\nroom, so be quick.<\/p>\n
There are also the harder cheeses such as Emmenthal and Comte.
\nThese cheeses are full of flavor, but watch out as they can leave
\na powerful aftertaste.<\/p>\n
It is a pity that, having been asked to come all the way from
\nEurope to present 30 cheeses, Lauxerrois should not bring some
\nsamples from other countries apart from France. You could be
\nforgiven for arriving at a cheese festival expecting to sample a
\nlovely mature Cheddar or an Italian dolcelatte.<\/p>\n
Certainly, the French theme, especially the music, adds fun
\nand color to the event, but perhaps Le Meridien could include an
\ninternational section next year.<\/p>\n
Borin replies: "Because we are a French hotel, we promote
\nthat. Besides the French are always very pro-French, if you go to
\na regional restaurant you only get cheese and wine from that
\narea."<\/p>\n
This minor detail aside, the selection here is a cheese
\nlover's delight. Why not finish your sampling with the Cheese
\nMaster's own favorite, the Brie Coulomiers (not surprisingly,
\nit's from his region), washed down with a delicious, light
\nBordeaux from the Brasserie list?<\/p>",
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