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• Epoisses - photo courtesy of artisanalcheese.com

Still to this day, one of my most memorable dining experiences revolves around cheese. It occurred in Tuscany, where my local friends Giulio and Pierre-the-herb-shepherd prepared an ultra-simple, 6-course dinner made only of local, rustic cheese, Super Tuscan wine, along with Pierre's spices and a drizzle of olive oil. Absolutely nothing else. No other ingredients. A minimalist culinary tour-de-force.

I was born, raised, and trained as a chef in a country that General De Gaulle once described as an ungovernable nation because of its 246 varieties of cheese. Vive la France!

But really, cheese is not a French invention, nor is it any more French than wine. In fact, some of my favorite cheeses come from Spain, Italy, and yes, the US. We'll see that in a minute.

Note that I'm quite an oddity. I hated cheese as a kid. My mom can't help herself to remind me that every time I hummer over Munster or St Marcellin. But what saved me from missing out on what I call the "heavenly trilogy" (wine, bread and cheese) is artisanal cheese. Note the emphasis on "artisanal", because that, and that only, is what we're talking about here. Forget about supermarket dairies, stupid factory-produced Camembert and other condom-looking, odorless rubber-tasting cheese that looks dead tired and plain boring.

There is a huge difference between cheese and artisan cheese. An artisan cheese has been hand-crafted in small batches according to time-honored techniques, recipes, and traditions. In other words, farm- (or micro-factory-) produced cheese made by locals. Why is that a good thing?

It's a good thing because cheese is like wine. It soaks up the value of the land where it comes from. It's inspired by it. It tells a story. It's just a truly unique culinary experience for gourmet or adventurous people. Adventurous? Yeah, when you smell a cheese like Epoisses, for instance, you really have to be.

You will find below what is the best in cheese-tasting. I'm not talking "good". I'm talking crazy, ultra-flavorful, story-telling, knock your dirty socks off kinds of good cheese. Enjoy!

MY TOP 10 ARTISANAL CHEESES

1. Tomme de Savoie

Cow milk from the French Alps. Very rustic rind and soft, tasty paste. Mild. Good for beginners.

2. Epoisses

Weapon of mass destruction. OH MY GOD kind of smell. Cow milk from Burgundy. I lOVE IT!

3. Ossau Iraty

Such a nice cheese. Semi-hard paste from sheep milk. Made in the Pyrennees Basque region. Great, subtle, nutty flavor. Mild.

4. Pecorino Toscano

Sheep milk from Tuscany. Similar to Ossau Iraty in many ways. Great prior to Italian food. Great with SuperTuscan wines.

5. Garrotxa

Goat milk from Spain. I love this cheese. Semi-firm paste. Quite mild. You can actually taste the rosemary and thyme the goats eat in the Spanish countryside!

click to enlarge

• Epoisses - photo courtesy of artisanalcheese.com

6. Roves des Garrigues

Really close to my heart. Made in the hills above my hometown, Marseille. Rare cheese from rare breed of goats. Very pleasant.

7. Valencay

Mild, semi-soft goat cheese from the Loire valley in France. Sprinkled with ashes. So subtle. Great with white wine.

8. Humboldt Fog

A great American made goat cheese. Interesting texture. My favorite US cheese.

9. Chabichou du Poitou

Goat cheese from France. Nice roasted with olive oil and placed on a bed of lettuce.

10. Shropshire Blue

Yes, that's my favorite blue cheese. Check out the color of that thing. And yes, a GREAT British cheese.

Also, if you prefer to you prefer to choose some great cheese per country, I have compiled the following list of great artisanal cheese per country:

SPAIN

• Valdeon
  
• Ibores
  

FRANCE

• Pont l'Eveque
  
• Morbier raw milk
  

ITALY

• Robiola Pineta
  
• Pecorino Tartufo
  

ENGLAND

• Spenwood
  
• Cashel Blue
  

US

• Hudson Valley Camembert
  
• Humboldt Fog
  

SWITZERLAND

• Tete de Moine
  
• Kuntener
  

NETHERLANDS

• Aged Gouda
  
• Roomano
  

CANADA

• Madawaska
  
• Clandestin
  

PORTUGAL

• Mondegueiro
  
• Azeitao
  

THE DELICATE CASE OF STINKY CHEESE

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• Epoisses - photo courtesy of artisanalcheese.com

Now, granted, some of the cheeses on my list have a super-stink to them. That's one of the reason why I like them so much, actually. The smells of Epoisses or Munster or Shropshire blue can be strong and reminiscent of dirty socks, moist cellar, armpits, etc... However, those flavors, albeit strong and pungent, are interesting. And while cheeses smell bad, they always taste good.

Making cheese, of course, involves micro-organisms such as (good) bacterias. These are responsible for the complex flavors... and the stink.

The stinkiest cheese are probably the ones with an orangey, moist surface, like Munster, Epoisses, or Langres for instance, which are aged in moist cellars perfect for (good) bacteria reproduction. Sometimes even, the rind of the cheese is purposely kept moist by the cheese-maker to favor such a stinky rind and concentrate flavors.

If you're new to stinky-cheese tasting, try to concentrate on something else than the first smell (the stink) which can be, I'll concede, somewhat halting. Try to go deeper and get sensations reminiscent of walks in the wood, must, wild mushrooms, wet hay and rotten eggs. These are unusual flavors and one must find them interesting.

THE AOC (OR DOC)

You know about the AOC. Takes virtually every bottle of French wine and read the label. It likely says AOC somewhere or Appelation d'Origine Controllee. Same with most Spanish or Italian wines (DOC). What is it?

AOC or DOC are wines (cheese, in our case) being produced in specific well-defined regions, according to specific rules designed to preserve the traditional wine-making practices of the individual regions.

Mainly, it's a protection of the product and of the consumer. If you buy an AOC Morbier, you pretty much know you're in for a treat, and that the cheese has been made in accordance to stringent rules of cheese-making.

click to enlarge

• Epoisses - photo courtesy of artisanalcheese.com

THE ANIMALS

It's always important to remember where cheese comes from. I mean, which kind of animals it is made from. Most of the time, cheese-producing animals are cows, sheeps and goats. But many cheese are made from a blend of milks. Just like it's interesting to distinguish varietals in wine (Pinot noir, Cabernet, Grenacher, Syrah, Mourvedre, etc...), it is a pleasure to learn to separate characteristics of cow, goat and sheep milk.

RAW MILK CHEESE

The best cheeses are made with "raw milk", meaning the milk has not been heated (pasteurized) over 100F. Below that temperature, the micro-organisms essential to the production of outstanding cheeses thrive, thus giving a richer, deeper flavor that is so enjoyable to the connoisseur.

Sadly, in the US, the FDA restricts the distribution of Raw Milk cheeses unless they have been aged for 60 days. But some California or Vermont cheese-makers rightfully took advantage of this to produce outstanding American-made cheeses.

CHEESE CUTTING ETIQUETTE

Now, I don't mean to sound any more French than I already am, but if I catch the client who, during one of my upscale seated catered dinners a few years ago, cut a star-shaped hole out of a wonderful looking Epoisses, I promise to duct-tape the aforementioned cheese to his nose for an undetermined amount of time. Come on, a star-shaped hole!

So once and for all, here is the cheese cutting etiquette, brought to you by the good folks at artisanalcheese.com

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"Round cheeses, such as Camembert, Reblochon or Pierre Robert should be cut in half and then into small triangle wedges.

Larger firm cheeses should be cut into wedges and placed on their side to be sliced.

Square cheeses like Pont L'Eveque, Pavé d'Auge and Taleggio can be cut diagonally and then into smaller triangle wedges.

Soft, runny cheeses like Fläda can be left in their box and guests can use a spoon to scoop the soft cheese onto a cocktail plate or a slice of baguette. To serve a whole soft Spanish cheese such as the Torta del Casar or Serena, make a circular lid by cutting off the top and serving the cheese in its own "bowl" with a spoon. Save the lid and use to cover any left over cheese.

Use a sharp chef's knife for semi-soft to hard cheeses.

Use a thin utility knife for softer cheeses. Dip it in warm water and wipe before each cut.

You can also use a traditional tool such as a cheese wire.

Avoid cutting cheeses hours in advance because their flavors are at their peak when they are first sliced!"

Gui Alinat is a regular contributor to the Daily Loaf. He's a local executive chef, blogger and food writer . You can learn more about him on his blog.