I’ll take any excuse to try a new cheese, so when I saw La Cuisine Paris post about hosting a weekly cheese chat on Instagram live each Sunday in February featuring a different French cheese, I immediately added it to my calendar. No stranger to throwing together a cheese board for a gathering with friends, I figured these chats would be a great opportunity to learn about the cheese I was eating and what pairs best with each. What better way to take a daily vacation?

Each Cheese Chat was hosted by Jane of La Cuisine Paris and Tenaya aka Madame Fromage. Both women have an immense wealth on all things cheese and their personalities shined each Sunday as they shared their passion for all things cheese.

The first chat I attended was all about Brie de Meaux, a specialty brie produced in the town of Meaux in the Brie region of France. Brie, which is probably France’s most recognized cheese, is soft and creamy and tends to have a buttery, earthy taste. Enjoy your brie with a baguette and make sure you always cut in small wedges or lengthwise slices - cutting off the tip, or nose, of the wedge is a huge cheese faux pas!

I missed the second chat of the series, Epoisses, which is a stinky cheese and was held on February 14th (Valentine’s Day) for a play on Love Stinks. So fun!

The third chat was all about Comté, which is produced in eastern France close to the border of Switzerland. Comté was described by Madame Fromage as an ambidextrous cheese, because it notoriously works well with both savory and sweet pairings. Comté is made in large discs which can weigh up to 110 pounds. Most people don’t eat the rind, as the weight of these cheese wheels make them hard to carry and are often rolled on the floor to move them through the cheese cave. It was interesting to learn about the regulations for comté cheese -only milk from two specific breeds of cow can be used and each cow must have so many hectares of pasture to inhabit. I paired my comté with a few of Madame Fromage’s recommendations, but my favorite was with a ginger cookie!

The final chat was on Mimolette cheese, which has an interesting story that might just scare some people off. Part of the production involves cheese mites, microscopic bugs that are allowed to eat and nibble away at the rind of the cheese as it ages. The cheese mites are thought to contribute to the flavor of the cheese and are the reason that the surface of well-aged mimolette resembles the crater like surface of the moon. The US had banned this cheese in 2013 because of the cheese mites but has since lifted its ban. The bright orange color of mimolette comes from the use of annatto, which is a natural seasoning. Jane loves to eat her mimolette on its own by cutting off chunks from the wedge, which I would agree with, the flavor is delightful.

Jane and Tenaya also discussed what to pair with each cheese are far as drinks are concerned and the key takeaway for me was that there is no wrong answer. From beer to wine to cocktails to a simple cup of tea, the possibilities are endless. I will definitely be investigating the cheese and cocktail pairing sometime soon.

These cheese chats were a welcome addition to my Sundays. I highly recommend following @lacuisineparis and @mmefromage on Instagram for additional cheese fun from Paris and Philadelphia.

PS: make sure you serve your cheese at room temperature to fully enjoy its flavor profile 😊