Hey! I don't even know if this blog is current but I'm new to the cheese world and my department is working with a skeleton crew so there's literally no time for education. I'm really uncomfortable with pretty much all of the coffin cheeses and I really want to be able to answer all the questions I get asked. Do you recommend any good literature for green mongers?
Hello! Yes!
Here are a few that are pretty good intro level books: 1) The Cheese Primer (Steven Jenkins): It’s more than a bit elitist and on the old school side of things, but it’s still a really good basic intro to the classic old world cheeses by region. When someone asks for a cheese from Burgundy or Alsace-Lorraine, this is still the book I grab for names. 2) Cheese Essentials (Laura Werlin): This was the first book I read that made me really understand how to talk about flavor profiles. It’s broken up by type, and if you follow along you’re very likely to be able to fake it til you make it, in terms of specific cheese knowledge.
3) Culture magazine: Subscriptions are expensive, but even Barnes and Noble carries it. I like reading culture to stay up on American artisan cheeses, and find that they also do a good job of talking up pairings. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a new cheese nerd.
4) Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge (Gordon Edgar): One of my favorite books on mongering from one of my favorite guys in the cheese world (also the real world--Gordon is a co-worker and friend). This book is unpretentious and completely accessible, and may help you find new ways to talk about cheese with your customers.
I also spent a lot of time here when I was first learning cheese. I started out at Cowgirl, so I’m definitely a bit biased. But I still find it useful because of the way it’s broken into categories.
Finally, some advice:
1) Start with what you like: Taste something new every chance you get, and when you find a cheese you LOVE, learn as much as you can about it. It’s easier to sell what you enjoy.
2) Learn by categories/families: Let’s say you fall in love with gruyere. Excellent! Start searching “alpine cheese” in the books, on google, etc. Gather a bit of knowledge about that group of cheeses and start applying it when you taste those cheeses for yourself or customers. For alpines, you’ll learn that they’re great melters that are always made with raw milk (typically cow). Sometimes knowing a category well can help you sell it to a customer.
3) It’s ok to start out relying on other people’s descriptions until your palate develops: Keep tasting til the words have meaning. Nutty, meaty, grassy, tangy, lactic...there are lots of cheese words that can sound totally made up. Until they don’t any more. The more you taste new things, the stronger your palate will get.
4) Always listen to the conversations other mongers are having: I still do this. Sometimes a co-worker will use a phrase or describe a flavor and it WORKS, so I take it. I try to thank them/mention it so there’s no hard feelings. But a lot of on the job learning is about keeping your ears open for little details.
5) Ask for a chance to help set/re-set the coffin case or to help with early stocking: Physically touch the cheese if you can and try to read the signs. You can actually learn a lot by looking at/feeling cheese, and if you offer to help out with deep cleaning/re-sets you are likely to earn some points as a new worker.
Good luck, and I hope that helps! Please message me again any time!