[Closed] why is thinly sliced cheese so much more tasty?

Squashed or unsquashed bread?

Surface area.

asda spreadable mature cheddar is gorgeous.

Think QI did a piece on grated cheese saying the same. Finer grating, more surface area, more flavour.

Well, my experiment consists of:

1) thin slice (1-2mm) of cheese placed on the tongue, unchewed = mouth watering and tastebud tingling

Rise with water and wait a bit

2) thicker slice (4-5mm) of same chese placed on tongue, unchewed = cheesy taste but not the tastebud tingling and mouth watering result.

Is it something to do with meltingness?

Lots of stuff is like that eg.carpaccio or tomatoes. I put it down to having more air around what you are eating but that's only my guess

NW: I wouldn't sully the taste with [i]bread[/i] of any sort.

Nice Granny Smith apple maybe.
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sliced thinly

and for super tasty, it needs to be sliced by and eaten off a penknife too.

Its voodoo I tells yah.

Depends on the cheese as well. A sock meltingly strong cheddar with those crystal bit in it that makes your mouth pucker up on tasting can only be consumed in lumps. Thinly slicing would turn it into crumbs

How do you slice Brie 1-2mm thick? As long as there is plenty of room for thick bacon and cranberry between the bread as well, I don't care. I would be perfectly content to never eat anything else again apart from that.

How do you slice Brie 1-2mm thick?

you dont. You wipe the slab of brie across the biccy until it's slathered.

Stoner +1

If you can slice brie it aint ripe.

Ah, I feel I must try this new technique IMMEDIATELY.

Northwind - Member
Squashed or unsquashed bread?

Others do this too? 🙂

Northwind - Member
[i]Squashed or unsquashed bread?[/i]

Others do this too?

Other freaks you mean? 😉

I remember the QI where they said it's to do with vol vs surface area. I'm no connoisseur, but I guess it's similar to the sucking air through your teeth into wine for maximum flavour.

Room temperature food and drink also has the most flavour.

Apple's are best when they're sliced and about to have crumble or pastry put on top of them.

+1 for stoners serving suggestion - cheese n Apple n penknife in the shoffice.

ton - Member
asda spreadable mature cheddar is gorgeous.

something won't let me believe you....

tastes even better grated.

I find grated cheddar tastes even better than thinly sliced. I also put this down to surface area. However, even after it is moulded back into an amorphous solid shape it still tastes better than the same size piece chopped off in one lump. I reckon that there is some pesky science involved.

Maybe it builds up a layer of oxide - which is why it's so much better when it has 'warmed up' a bit? The bacteria may get busy when exposed to air or something.

I wonder if you could anodise it - by extension that should make even rubbish cheese taste amazing!

I guess grating would warm it up a bit too. I like the oxide theory as well. Where's Heston with the answers when you need it.

Mmmmm, purple cheddar

Warming up (i.e. room temp or above) cheese helps release the esters within the cheese, thus more flavour.
The same reason proper beer tastes better at 10 deg than chilled and chilled lager tastes better than if its warmer (because its crap). Try Newcastle Brown ale if its been allowed to warm up a bit, its foul!

Try Newcastle Brown ale if its been allowed to warm up a bit, its foul!

Anytime I've bought a bottle of nukey brown its been chilled to near freezing point. I wouldn't choose to drink it unless there was no alternative. Horrible horrible beer.

Yanks serve porters, stouts, IPA, etc, ice chilled. Just wrong. It's like Guinness Extra Cold. WTF! (though I suppose that comes under the, it's crap anyway so what the hell).

All cheese, no matter how nice, also tastes better when melted! FACT!

Whether its teeth-waveringly strong cheddar, onto toast with Worcester sauce. Or Camembert, shoved in the oven until volcanically hot, then having crusty bread dipped in it. A cheese single melted onto a fish finger butty, or stilton with ham in a hot oatcake

See... incontrovertible!

why are [i]you[/i] so much more tasty?

Mature cheddar sliced wafer thin, now that is lovely.

piedi di formaggio - Member
Depends on the cheese as well. A sock meltingly strong cheddar with those crystal bit in it that makes your mouth pucker up on tasting can only be consumed in lumps. Thinly slicing would turn it into crumbs