Picture This:

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once said, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Does that name sound familiar? One of the most well-known triple-creams, Brillat Savarin, was dubbed after this popular epicure.

Picture this: You’re in 19th century France walking down the road on a brisk, winter day. Your rather large stomach is bouncing with your strut, but you’re feeling prouder than ever. Why the extra weight? Because of those high amounts of triple-cream cheeses you devour daily. Did you know that extra weight used to be a sign of wealth in the 19th century? It meant that you could afford the life of magnificent, decadent foods. That includes triple-cremes. These oozy, bloomy rounds were once a sign of grandiosity and a literal taste of luxury.

When you travel to 109 you’ll see that we have different sorts of cheeses such as triple-cremes and double-cremes, but what exactly are they? Creaming is the addition of milk before the curds form. For double-cremes, the cheeses have a butterfat content of 60-75%. Triple-cremes, on the other hand, have to have a minimum of 75% fat content.

That sounds like a lot of fat though, right? Have no fear! Even if something has a high butterfat content, it doesn’t mean that the cheese is necessarily bad for you. We know, we know, we know… we hear the term fat and shudder at the thought too. It turns out that when Cheesemongers discuss butterfat content, they normally are referring to the percentage of fat content in just dry matter. Triple-cremes and double-cremes are, in most cases, compromised of around 50% water. In reality, the cheeses (with the water) only have around 30-40% total fat.

Triple-cremes are very well known and loved at 109. They are one of our most popular sellers. Really. We have yet to come into contact with a coworker who does not like the taste or texture of triple cremes. They’re rich. They’re decadent. They’re a bloomy round of pure pleasure. Flavours of our triple-cremes can range from mild and buttery, such as our Délice de Bourgogne from Fromagerie Lincet, to more rich and tangy like our Pierre Robert from Fromagerie Rouzaire.

These cheeses are also very easy to pair with.  Perfect for Valentine’s Day, these cheeses are wonderful with a nice glass of bubbles. Try a triple-creme with tangy fruits like strawberries or raspberries and I promise– you will not be disappointed. If you want to try something a little different, go with a house favourite, Mt. Alice from the Von Trapp Farmstead. This double-creme matches with deeper fruits such as dried figs and raisins.

Our stomachs are growling. Are yours? Stop by for a taste! We’ve got plenty to share.