French cheese master here to tempt the taste buds

By John Aglionby

JAKARTA (JP): Critics of French cuisine say the Gallic reputation for producing fine food was built from the outside in; the core ingredients were of dubious quality so they had to be hidden with flamboyant extras.

With cheese it is, arguably, a different story. While there are copious recipes involving cheese, it is more commonly eaten raw, on bread or crackers accompanied by a glass of wine. Then there is nowhere for the flaws to hide as they are exposed to the full glare of public scrutiny.

Eating large quantities of good cheese in Jakarta is difficult at the best of times. The environment means there is a dearth of lush grass for cows, sheep and goats to chew to produce the requisite thick, creamy milk and the heat and humidity make storage problematic. Cheeses imported here have rarely traveled well and are usually prohibitively expensive.

But there is currently an oasis of opportunity at hand for cheese addicts. Until June 19 Le Meridien hotel's Brasserie restaurant is offering a selection of 33 French cheeses in a feast-until-you're-full promotion.

And to ensure everything runs smoothly, one of France's most senior cheese masters, Claude Lauxerrois, will be on hand to guide the timid and offer advice on everything from how to cut different varieties to the order in which they should be eaten.

Lauxerrois oozes cheese from every pore. The 64-year-old from Coulommiers, near Paris, is not merely passionate about the subject, it is his whole life.

"My father was a cheese master and his before him. I followed in their footsteps, it is in my blood," he said.

The French are eating much more cheese than a generation ago. "In my father's era average personal consumption was about 15 to 16 kilos a year," Lauxerrois said. "Now it is 24 kilos."

But it is not just the quantity being eaten that is increasing. "Customers are becoming more demanding, they want more choice, they want better quality. And because of improved communications it is possible to meet their demands.

"People in the mountains can now eat cheese from the valleys like the Loire in a way they couldn't at the end of the second world war and vice versa."

Thirty years ago, the then French president Charles de Gaulle said: "How is it possible to govern a country that produces 246 different cheeses?" Lauxerrois says there are now more than 400 varieties -- although he did not say whether that was responsible for the current French government's woes -- and the majority are seasonal.

"The type of cheese one can produce depends on the climate and the time of year. I have brought spring cheeses with me to Jakarta but if I were to return in six months the selection would be completely different."

This increase in varieties does not mean the skills needed to become a connoisseur of fine cheese have changed significantly. "The eyes, hands and mouth are the most important tools. At hotel school one learns techniques from books. For me that is not good. What one needs is practical experience handling and eating cheese."

He says the nose is less crucial. "Many people, particularly Asians who are unused to eating strong-smelling cheeses, are often put off by the smell. But many such cheeses often taste very mild."

The seriousness with which Lauxerrois and his fellow cheese masters take their cheese is revealed in the history of the French cheese masters association.

Founded in 1954 by Lauxerrois' godfather, there was intense opposition to admitting women. The first cheese "mistress" was not appointed until 1969. "In an association such as ours we take the work very seriously. It was not a case of misogyny but how could we concentrate on the cheese if there were lots of women around?" he says by way of explanation.

There are now 10 women among the association's 72 members.

Lauxerrois is not hopeful about the future however. "Being a cheese master involves a lot of hard work, a lot of learning, but young people nowadays do not want to spend their whole lives learning," he said.

"They want quick knowledge and quick money. I am afraid that people will lose the taste to continue the profession properly."

He does not have a favorite cheese, "I just love them all" and likes to eat it very simply, ideally with just farmhouse bread.

"To accompany it I would drink some wine, that is better than water, but to really taste the cheese you should eat it with bread. Cooked cheese is often delicious but it is not quite the same."

One of the rarest cheeses on offer in his selection is Chambarand, a cow's cheese made by monks in the south of France. "The monks have been making it for centuries but word of it has not got out until very recently."

Lauxerrois is also fiercely proud of the superior quality of French cheeses. "If you go to other countries it is not the same. For example one can get feta in Greece from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. It is the same with mozzarella in Italy.

"In France it is different, more specialized, in order to be able to cope with the seasonal changes."

Good French cheese is therefore very much a luxury product, according to Lauxerrois. "It is like fashion. People like to spend money on a Chanel dress, they like to spend money on good cheese but they cannot do it every day."

Asians are also latching on to this. "Last year I brought 150 kilos and that was not enough. This year there are 250 kilos. I hope we will not run out."

If the samples are anything to go by I wouldn't bet on it.