[Event Report] Artful Cheese Discovery: An Artistic Experiential Event for French Cheese

CNIEL (French National Interprofessional Centre for the Dairy Economy), with support from the European Union (EU), successfully held the experiential French cheese event 'Artful Cheese Discovery ~ Unlocking the New Appeal of Cheese through Art ~' on June 6 (Sat) and 7 (Sun), concluding with great success.

[Immersive Experience! Free Experiential Tasting of French Cheeses]

The tasting area, which was particularly popular at the event, allowed visitors to reach into works resembling paintings and enjoy experiential tastings of various French cheeses such as Camembert, Munster, and Comté. Visitors who experienced the tasting commented, 'I felt like I was inside a painting, enjoying French cheese in a fun way,' and 'I want to buy the washed-rind cheese I tried for the first time,' providing an opportunity to discover the new appeal of French cheeses.

[Like a Cheese Museum! Experiential Cheese Exhibition]

In the exhibition area, 15 types of distinctive French cheeses were displayed from an artistic perspective. Visitors could view the gooey, melted Époisses through a picture frame, observe the dynamic Emmental Français from various angles like a sculpture, and smell the mushroom-like aroma of Bleu d'Auvergne from a perfume-bottle-style container, among various other experiential exhibits. Visitors commented, 'Seeing French cheese through a picture frame was beautiful, and I took lots of photos,' and 'It was interesting to see the cross-section of the cheese from 360 degrees in the sculpture-style display.'

[French Cheese and Beverage Pairing Seminar]

A seminar on pairing French cheese with wine and coffee was held. The lecturers were Ms. Kumiko Arai and Mr. Yoshihiko Sano, directors of the Cheese Professional Association, and Ms. Yoshimi Mochizuki, a barista who previously served as a coffee ambassador for a major coffee chain. They lectured on the key points of pairing French cheese with beverages. Participants commented, 'Pairing with wine brought out a different deliciousness from eating French cheese alone,' and 'It was an eye-opener to see how much you can enjoy coffee and cheese with the right pairing tips,' providing an opportunity to experience new possibilities in French cheese pairing.

[Original 'Cheese Box' Making Workshop]

A workshop for creating original 'cheese boxes' was led by cheese professional Ms. Ayumi Tenkaji. Participants cut Comté, Camembert, and Fourme d'Ambert to their preferred sizes using specialized cheese knives, and combined them with side ingredients like nuts and yokan (sweet bean jelly), experiencing the creation of their own cheese boxes. Participants commented, 'It was fun to use a hand liner to create a beautiful cross-section of Fourme d'Ambert,' and 'I learned about the possibilities of combining cheese with other ingredients.'

Event Overview for 'Artful Cheese Discovery ~ Unlocking the New Appeal of Cheese through Art ~'

Date & Time: June 6 (Sat) and 7 (Sun), 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Venue: reload / ADRIFT

Address: reload: 3-19-20 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

　　　ADRIFT: 3-9-23 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Admission: Free

Contents:

― Free experiential cheese tasting

― Experiential exhibition to learn about French cheese through art

― Cheese and beverage pairing seminar

― Original 'Cheese Box' making workshop

― Cheese diagnosis

[About CNIEL]

CNIEL (French National Interprofessional Centre for the Dairy Economy) is a non-profit organization comprising French dairy farmers, cooperatives, manufacturers, and distributors, conducting the following activities domestically and internationally:

1. Research on economic trends in the dairy industry and the health effects of dairy products

2. Public relations activities to promote a positive image and expand consumption of French dairy products, particularly cheese

3. Social activities 'France Terre de Lait' respecting the founding principles of the international standard ISO 26000 'Social Responsibility'