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5 of the world’s sexiest cheeses
Cheese is possibly not the first ingredient that comes to mind in terms of a Valentine’s Night celebration but think again and you realise there's no shortage of suitable candidates.
It’s not only what you serve but how you serve it of course. Two at least, the Vacherin and Camembert, can be baked in their boxes - warm cheese has to be even sexier than cheese at room temperature.
What is essential in my book at least is some degree of gooeyness (though not stinkiness unless you know your partner well and you’re both cheese fanatics. I reckon an Epoisses or Stinking Bishop is out.)
Surely the sexiest cheese on earth - and - hooray! - still in season on Valentine’s Day. Great with a freshly baked crusty baguette or, better still, baked with a side of new potatoes to dunk in it. The only problem is it’s quite large. You may not need anything else, except possibly a glass of champagne. Or two. In fact I think you could drink champagne with all of these. See more of my best pairings with Vacherin Mont d'Or.
You might regards this as a poor man’s Vacherin but it's a fine cheese in its own right - and a bargain to boot. And again you can bake it. As for pairings, check out these 5 great drink matches for Camembert.
A fantastic Portuguese sheeps cheese set with cardoons rather than rennet which gives it a particularly seductive silky texture. A great cheese to share with a cheese buff
Superb washed-rind northern Italian cheese that verges on the stinky as it matures but is amazing on pizza or tarts. If you’re not a big one for lavish Valentine’s celebrations Nigel Slater’s Mushroom & Taleggio toastie would be an indulgent snack for a quiet night in.
Maybe a romantic cheese rather than a sexy one this heart-shaped cheese clearly shows your loved one you're out to impress. It’s made from cow’s cheese and tastes quite like a Camembert but it is possible to find heart-shaped goats cheeses too.
So are these the kind of cheeses that you would serve on Valentine's night or can you think of a better option?
Image © Jill Wellington
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