Specialty Cheeses Add Cachet

Whether the Gruyère and Emmenthaler of Switzerland, German butterkäse, French Brie and chèvre, or Italian pecorino, Parmesan and Asiago, cheese has developed into a delicacy that’s as much a part of a nation’s culinary identity as its finest breads and wines.

The United States, too, always has produced some wonderful cheeses, including Muenster, colby and Monterey Jack, among others. But for years, cheese in America has been too widely defined by the ubiquitous “American cheese”—a type that, while easy to work with, simply doesn’t generate a lot of excitement.

But the American palate is growing up, and—as noted by menu data from Food Beat, Inc., Wheaton, IL—today there’s a growing interest in artisanal and specialty cheeses, both American and imported.

Shane Schaibly, manager of culinary development, The Melting Pot, a national fondue chain, says Americans are ready for the world of cheese. “I think Americans are becoming more cultured overall,” he says. “They are traveling a lot more and tasting new cuisines and enjoying them.” This provides chefs with a great opportunity to “push the envelope,” he says, and diners are enjoying the results.

Heather Porter Engwall, director, national product communications, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Madison, agrees: “In general, what we’ve been noticing is that the specialty and the artisan cheeses have definitely been increasing (in sales) over the years, and each year we see an increase in production here in Wisconsin.... It’s interesting and exhilarating to witness it because, while many of the varieties that we have in this state have always been a part of our heritage, what we are seeing now with chefs and consumers is that there’s this resurgence as they seek out unique and full-flavored artisanal cheeses.

“Our cheesemakers have created a lot of new homestead varieties and ethnic specialties,” Porter Engwall continues. “Chefs and consumers are seeking new products out, and our cheesemakers are responding because there is a bigger audience.”

Product and menu developers are looking, ultimately, for full flavor, notes Porter Engwall. Customers look for the same, and also are becoming increasingly interested in the story behind a cheese. “It’s really important to understand where it all begins—with the story of the cheese,” she says. “All artisan and specialty cheeses have a story—about the kind of milk used, how the cheese was created, how it was aged, what the techniques are that the cheese when through, and the flavor profiles, the nuttiness and all the words people use to describe what the cheese tastes like.”

CHEESE DIVERSIFIED

According to Food Beat’s data, mentions of fine and specialty cheeses on menus of the nation’s top-200 restaurant chains have increased dramatically over the past five years. Mentions of Asiago increased from 47 in the second half of 2002 to 81 in the second half of 2007, an increase of 72%. Boursin mentions, over the same period of time, increased from 4 to 9, or by 125%. Mentions of Brie increased by 71%, or from 7 to 12, while mentions of blue cheese increased from 93 to 183, or 97%. Goat cheese mentions increased from 21 to 33, representing an increase of 57%, and mentions of Gruyère doubled from 2 to 4.

While blue cheese is certainly no stranger to Americans, more chains are slotting it onto menus—particularly in beef and salad applications. Black Angus Steakhouse serves a Grilled Filet Mignon & Bleu Cheese Flatbread menued as “tender, seared filet mignon paired with caramelized onions, Jack, Cheddar, and bleu cheeses—all on top of garlic buttered-brushed, grilled flatbread.” And at Atlanta Bread, the Balsamic Bleu Salad is described as “field greens and romaine lettuce tossed with bleu cheese crumbles, toasted walnuts, Granny Smith apples, tomato, red onion and dried cranberries with balsamic vinaigrette.”