We have been learning alot about French culture. One important aspect has been the evening meal, and the order of the dishes. Near the end a platter of cheese is often served. Now, this is not North American cheddar cheese, the kind we put in Kraft dinners. No, this is _real_ cheese. Cheese like Camembert, Pont l’Evêque, Pavé d’Auge, Livarot, and Brin de Paille. Cheese from cows, AND goats and sheep! I admit, the strong scent and flavour of these are challenging for someone like me to manage. To eat. It doesn’t help that many other foreigners commiserate, and generally we all have been avoiding these cheeses. Now, this is fine in your own home, but what do you do when you are visiting French friends and they serve the cheese platter?

So, the other day Michelle, Liberty, Van and I went to a fair of sorts near our apartment, at the Parc des Expositions de Caen. It was called “Fêno, le meilleur de la Normandie à Caen”, and it displayed the best of various industries located in Normandy. We could read about the rockets developed for the French space program, to the last sewing needle manufacturer in Western Europe, to food and drinks. It was while we were walking through the food section, with its vast showcases of cheese from Normandy, that something was really driven home. _They love their cheese._ And I realized that if I was really going to fit in here, and settle, that I too would need to learn to love the cheese.

So today at lunch, I ordered a cheese platter. I think there was Camembert, and Pont l’Evêque, and another goat cheese. These were all cheese that I previously would take a small nibble and then drown with coffee, or coke, or anything, to mask the taste. But no. I had to eat it plain. Eat it straight. Without grimacing or gagging. So I did. It wasn’t easy, but, it wasn’t that hard either.

If you wish, try a new cheese from France this week. Your local grocery store probably has some. Give it a try, and let me know how it went for you. Bon appetite!