Ever snaffle a jaffle so fast that you scorched your tongue? 😝 Or devoured a platter in a matter of minutes? ⏰ Don't worry, no judgement, we've all been there! Mindful cheese eating ain't easy...

Ashgrove is here to help! We've got the simple steps to help you savour the sights, smells and tastes of the cheesy goodness in front of you! 😍🤤

Step 1 - Check out a Cheddar! Focus on the Fetta! Rubberneck that Rubicon Red!

As the adage goes, you eat with your eyes - cheese tasting is no exception.Take your time and look at the cheese in front of you.

Questions to ask:

• What colour is the rind?
• Does it have any holes, cracks, speckles or white patches?
• Is the inside bright white or buttery yellow?
• Is the texture soft and crumbly, or flaky and hard?

Step 2 - Don't skip the sniff - have a whiff of that wedge!

Did you know that your nose has between 5 000 and 10 000 smell receptors? It's no surprise that what you pick up through your sense of smell is responsible for 80% of what your brain interprets as flavour. The scent of a cheese can be a great indicator of where it has come from, how its been made and how strong it will be.

Questions to ask:

• Does the cheese have a strong, fresh or delicate smell?
• What can you smell - garden soil? Milk, fruit or nuts? Maybe even dirty socks?
• Do you like the aroma?

Step 3 - The moment you've been waiting for - tasting time!

Even though it's exciting, try and take it slow when you're tasting cheese. Be sure to inhale and exhale while you chew to allow your tongue and nose to work together. Flavours can change and develop during a tasting, so give your cheese time to work the floor.

Our tongues have five areas that pick up specific tastes - sweet, sour, bitter, umami and salty. Each section has thousands of tastebuds which make sure you don't miss a thing! 

Questions to ask:

• Do you detect any sweetness, saltiness, sourness or astringency?
• Can you taste cracked pepper? Caramel? Maybe even sourdough?
• How would you describe the texture of the cheese? Is it airy like whipped cream, crumbly and granular or smooth and buttery? 
• Does the cheese melt on your tongue, or spring between your teeth?

VOILÀ, YOU'RE NOW A CHEESE CONISSEUR! 🧐🥳

Go on, head out and show off your skills to family and friends but, most importantly, enjoy experiencing everything cheese has to offer! 😍🧀🤤

Not quite ready to go it alone? No worries, we've got your back. We offer a range of cheese tasting experiences at our Dairy Door in Elizabeth Town, TAS where you will be able to ask our expert team all about our cheeses as you sample the goods - BOOK NOW