CHEESE CORNER

Extract from an article by Tony Hanmer

I had never, in over twelve years in Georgia, known that so many different cheeses existed in this little country. But, like the enormously varied set of landscapes, practically every village here has its own version of the product. Some are made of cows’ milk, others from that of sheep or goats. They may be smoked, brined, infused with herbs, wrapped in certain leaves or in wax, or kept in wine. No, this isn’t France, it’s Georgia! But few of these cheeses appear in any bazaar; the Cheese Corner shops are perhaps their only point of sale.

I recently visited one Cheese Corner outlet at 163 Nutsubidze Street. A pair of large cooled glass displays greeted me, filled with the magnificent wares, making me feel as if I were in any such shop in Europe. One cabinet seemed to be devoted to more common types, the other exclusively to those unknown elsewhere. Different colors, sizes, shapes and, yes, aromas, tantalized me- someone who has loved good aged cheese from early childhood. From softest to hardest, weeks young to years old, gentle to pungent: they beckoned me.

Around were also offered things to accompany your choice, all local, too: wines, fruit, nuts, honey and more. This was clearly an experience for all the senses, one suggesting a complex mix of flavors and textures supporting and strengthening one another in a gourmet’s delight. The prices, too, are somewhat beyond the normal ones you’d find in your corner shop or any of the country’s main markets. But then, these items simply cannot be found for sale elsewhere.