Sargento Cheese Tasting Get Together

  Growing up I wasn’t much of a cheese girl. After I had kids, I realized cheese was an easy and great way to provide my kids with Calcium and Protein. Then I learned there was a huge difference in the quality of cheese. Sargento is one of those wonderful natural cheeses I love to serve my kids.

I never actually learned how to taste cheese. When Sargento shared with me the process of tasting it, it reminded me of wine tasting. No wonder the two go hand in hand.

On Tuesday, my friend’s daughter was having a jewelry party before she headed off to college to raise some spending money. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to have some cheese tasting with the ladies that were coming over.

I headed over before the party began to set up the food and check out the jewelry. It’s fun getting to a party early because you get first dibs on your favorite items!

When the ladies and their daughters came over for some cheese and cracker slices, I shared with them the proper way to taste cheese.

How to Taste Cheese

1. Look at the cheeses. Natural cheeses, like cheddar, come in many different
colors, but in general an understated and non-glossy appearance. Processed
cheeses, however, have a luster or shine to them, even after their plastic is
removed. What do you see as you observe these cheeses?
2. Touch the cheese and feel its texture. Bend the cheeses. Natural cheese
texture can vary by cheese variety, but will normally break in an authentic
fashion when you do this. Processed cheese is characterized by a smooth,
rubbery and artificially pliable texture, and often can bend and fold without
breaking (again - remember to remove its individual plastic wrapping before
you feel it!). It can sometimes even feel “mushy.” What do you feel when you
touch the different cheeses?
3. Smell the cheeses like you’d smell a glass of wine. Natural cheeses’ aroma will
vary by cheese type, and the range of smells span adjectives like earthy, nutty,
and fruity. Processed cheese is usually lacking in a strong aroma, but can have
cooked milk notes due to its heating process. What aromas do you pick up
when you smell the cheeses?
4. Taste the cheese. Natural cheeses have an incredible array of flavors – from savory to fruity to spicy and sharp. The dominant characteristic in processed cheese is often described as salty. Take note of the characteristics of the cheese, the intensity of the flavor, the saltiness, sharpness or fruitiness of the cheese. How does it finish? Does the taste linger?So, each person who came to grab a snack went through the paces above. It was fun teaching the girls, who are my 2nd daughter’s age about the correct way to taste cheese. I realized as I was talking to them that I was referring to wine tasting. Trust me, those girls haven’t had wine! tee hee hee

 

Bummed I wasn’t able to get more photos of the ladies who tried out the cheese. I didn’t want to harass everyone, but these guys were willing to help me out. Everyone loved the dried fruit that Sargento sent along with the Sharp Cheese and Carrs Crackers.

When I brought the leftovers home, they didn’t stay leftovers long. My Doodle pretty much licked the entire place. How young is too young to teach the art of cheese tasting? Surely he’s old enough, right?

For me, the Sargento Natural Sharp Cheddar was bold in flavor and it had a lasting taste. The thought of eating processed cheese after enjoying this night of sampling really makes me a bit queasy. I have to be honest and tell you I picked up numerous other flavors for us to enjoy at home. I’ve been a fan of Sargento’s shredded cheese and now I’m hooked on their sliced cheese as well.

*I was compensated for this post by The Motherhood and sent samples. I also purchased product on my own for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.