The Joy of Cheese Presents Taking Sides vol. 1, a comparative tasting

The Joy of Cheese Presents Goat v. Sheep

For nearly two years, The Joy of Cheese has engaged in survey courses of cheese from different regions and different styles of cheese making. Now, we’re going a tad deeper. .

In the debut of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate pairs of similarly made cheeses from the same region with one key difference. One cheese in each pairing will be made of sheep’s milk and the other will be of goat’s milk. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

For instance we will feature a firm goat and a firm sheep from the French Pyrenees. We will also have leaf-wrapped fresh goat and sheep cheeses from Tuscany. There will be two blues from Devon England, two fresh cheeses from nearby, and so on and so forth.

There will be dark chocolate (only one), fruit and two mystery cheeses (which will not be compared against one another). I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays April 22^nd and 29^th as well as Thursday April 24^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: May 13^th 15^th and 20^th Taking Sides part two, the cheeses of the East Coast versus those from the West Coast..

-MJ