Vive la France!
Charles de Gaulle famously said it was impossible to govern a country with 246 different cheeses. And perhaps he was right. Every French cheese carries an essence of the place where it's made - its history, identity and landscape. Sometimes that's a physical thing, as the hard texture of Comté echoes its rugged Alpine home. Other times it's about power and politics - Brie swelling to royal dimensions due to its proximity to the French court, or Camembert gaining national status after being supplied in patriotic boxes to First World War soldiers.
In A Cheesemonger's Tour de France, Ned Palmer travels to ten regions, meeting the remarkable cheesemakers who preserve France's greatest patrimony; its treasured cheeses. As he explains the mysteries of terroir and why each of those different varieties taste as they do, he shows that a French cheeseboard offers genuine insights into la Belle République.
THE BOOK FOR CHEESE LOVERS EVERYWHERE
Every cheese tells a story, whether it's a fresh young goat's cheese or a big beefy eighteen-month-old cheddar. The flavour speaks to you about the place it was made, the season of its making and the craft of its maker. And each style of cheese reflects the culture of the people who first made it and their place in history.
A Cheesemonger's History of the British Isles tells the story of these islands, their people and their cheeses, from prehistoric Celts to postmodern foodies. Freelance cheesemonger Ned Palmer explains how key moments and major currents in our history are embodied within our food. And he explains how to find the best cheeses today, discover how they are made and meet the eccentric cast of characters who make them.
You'll discover what to drink with them and how to relish the history and flavour of every bite. It's a cheesemonger's odyssey, a celebration of history, tradition and innovation guaranteed to leave you hungry for more.
"A fabulous, fascinating Cheese Odyssey. Following the history of cheese from its neolithic beginnings right up to the modern-day, Ned takes you on an entrancing journey through cheese and British history itself, meeting dozens of dedicated cheesemakers along the way. Ned Palmer is an erudite, charming guide to all things cheese - and his book will make you want to eat nothing but cheese all day long."
Kate Williams, historian and broadcaster
"We are taught in school that history is about kings and queens and posh people sitting on horses, but Ned Palmer teaches us that in fact, correctly understood, history is mainly about cheese. I hugely enjoyed his engaging, learned, funny, surprising book. Palmer wears his extraordinary range of knowledge lightly, but he is serious too. His book is history from below, from the perspective of daily life; it talks about the food and the life and the needs of unfamous people. A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles is the best kind of social history, the kind you can eat."
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John Lanchester, journalist and novelist
A CHEESEMONGER'S COMPENDIUM
'Palmer writes with pace and passion ... Full of flavour' Sunday Times
A Cheesemonger's Compendium introduces 150 of the finest cheeses from across the British Isles. It is a perfect companion for all of us hooked by Ned Palmer's acclaimed Cheesemonger's History.
Each cheese on Palmer's cheeseboard is accompanied by a morsel of history or a dash of folklore, a description of its flavours, and an enticing illustration. Palmer peppers his book with stories of eccentric and colourful cheesemakers and celebrates both traditional farmhouse and modern artisanal cheeses - fresh, mould-ripened, washed-rind, blue and hard. He explains how to buy your cheese like a monger, how to cut and store it, and how best to match it with drinks. The guide is completed by a brilliantly illustrated gazetteer.
LET CHEESE MONGER NED PALMER TAKE YOU ON A DELICIOUS TOUR OF THE UK
Jervaulx Abbey - Birthplace of Wensleydale
Goats at Sleight Farm, Somerset
Milleens cheese from County Cork
Cheese presses at Trethowan's Dairy, Somerset
Spenwood, made by Anne Wigmore, Berkshire
A picture of cheesemaking from a medieval manuscript
A cow in a field in Co. Cork, Ireland
Cheesemaking from a medieval manuscript
Proper Cheshire on a shelf