Cheese etiquette

[Le Petomane]

Does everyone know the correct cheese-eating etiquette in France? You have to slice the cheese according to its shape; cheese in a wedge has to be sliced parallel to the longest side of the wedge, circular cheeses have to be sectioned from the middle. To do otherwise is a gross breach of etiquette. I found this out only last night. I must have been offending my French hosts for years.

[SaligoBay]

Especially Roquefort.  The nearer the outside edge you get, the less blue stuff there is, and it would be very rude to leave someone with just the white stuff.   That's why you cut it the way you said.

It's not a deportable offence, though.  [:)]

[Patmobile]

The same etiquette applies in UK, and always has done.  You've been offending your British friends ,too.

Patrick

[opas]

So which shape of cheese am I `allowed` to grate?[8-)]

[Anton Redman]

With a soubroquet like << Le Petomane >> you are worried about offending people ?  

[Patmobile]

[quote user="Opas"]So which shape of cheese am I `allowed` to grate?[8-)][/quote]

Not sure!  But there is a round cheese called Tete de Moine (monks head) from which you are supposed to take circular shavings from the top.  There is usually a special tool provided for the task

Patrick

[Tony F Dordogne]

They've got those shaver things in Ambiance atm and at the fromagerie in the covered market in Bayonne - neat tool, cheese paring before trickling over small amount of acacia honey, exquisite.