I can't deny that whenever I find myself at the deli counter at the nearest Stop and Shop I always choose Munster to go with my Turkey and whole wheat sandwiches. The yellow painted border surrounding the perfect square of shiny white reminds me of my favorite Power Point template. When the woman behind the cheese counter recommended this new Munster Géromé I had to take her professional (and always wonderful) recommendation.
Munster Géromé (zay-ROW-May) is one of France's oldest cheeses. It also smells like one of France's oldest cheeses. The yellow rind on this cheese is not sprayed on, like the one made by Boars Head, but washed with brine, creating a very sticky surface. It has a meaty and robust flavor with a slight lemon tang. Made from the Alsace and Vosgiennes cows milk, Munster Géromé has a high protein content. I wish I knew that when I was six years old and would have substitute it for the large glass of milk my parents made me drink with dinner.
In reading about this cheese, it is said that it should be enjoyed with cumin seeds and a sweeter more floral white wine. I found myself drinking this with a 2005 William Randell Shiraz. I should have probably stuck with a Riesling or Gewürztraminer, but this was definitely one wine that should be drank before dying. The wine, cheese and company were so pleasant, the small mistake in the pairing didn't cause the slightest problem.
So, after this cheese tasting, I conclude that the Munster in the supermarket still has its place on my turkey sandwiches, but the Munster Géromé is a cheese not to be reckoned with.
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