Given a choice of only one food to take into some isolated existence, most people I know would choose cheese. Enjoy it on its own and then experiment with new dishes; you may discover your own great combinations with this versatile ingredient.

Cheese can be described as an inspired collaboration between Man and Nature. Part of the fascination with it stems from the astonishing diversity that is created out of a single product - milk. Consider the sheer scope and variety of the world's cheeses. Then consider that they all are made from milk - mostly from cow's milk but some from the milk of goats, sheep, water buffalo and even in some remote areas, donkeys and horses. The magical property of milk that enables us to turn it into cheese is its ability to curdle.

No one knows exactly when or where cheese was first made. Swiss cheese has a history as long and distinguished as that of French cheese. Cheese was regarded as a gauge of social standing in Switzerland. The age and quantity of the cheese in the family cellar was seen as an indication of prosperity. Cheesemaking also had a good start in Italy. In fact, the geography of Italy is so diverse that the range of cheeses produced begins to rival that of France. Even in Roman times, France had the reputation for producing some of the best cheeses in the world. The French have always enjoyed the good things in life and this includes food and drink. So it is not surprising that their many local cheeses have survived for so long. There is currently said to be more than one French cheese for every day of the year.

Despite the fact that as a food, it has been around for a long time - the earliest archaeological evidence of cheesemaking can be found on Egyptian tomb murals. It was only in the last two decades or so that it found its way into daily diets outside of Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, although in many parts of Asia, diners still keep it at arm's length with noses firmly pinched.

In Hong Kong, on the other hand, there's no question that cheeses are fast gaining popularity amongst the foodie set. It is surprising that, to date, there hasn't been more effort to exploit cheese's unique characteristics in cooking though. Why not pair blue cheese with white fish or cheddar with lobster bisque? Perhaps use goat cheese to make a pesto sauce? 

We checked in with cheese expert Jean-Baptiste BOCQUET-APPEL of Classified The Cheese Room and Classified Mozzarella Bar, Hong Kong's latest, and only, full-fledged cheese shop. He is a perfect example of someone who has gone the extra mile in exploiting his creativity with this multi faceted ingredient.

Classified The Cheese Room is a neighborhood food shop concept specializing in wine and cheese. It houses Asia's first walk-in cheese room with cheeses imported from the most famous cheese mongers such as NYD in London and Jean d'Alos in France, both being standard setters in their field. France is the country of cheese with more than 500 different kinds of cheese being produced daily with an almost unlimited tank of flavors. And the UK is becoming more and more important in the cheese landscape for its modern approach to cheese making. The Cheese Room's menu features cheese platters, cheese fondue, 

cheese salads, cheese omelettes and cheese sandwiches among others. Most of Classified's guests are gourmet people looking for rare and fine products, expatriates who miss the flavors of their country of origin and a lot of locals who have traveled and caught the cheese virus. Some people might be watchful of the high fat content in cheese. But The Cheese Room also has low fat cheeses. Many people are not aware that cheese is very healthy as it is 100% natural and a very good source of calcium and proteins. Although The Cheese Room doesn't make its own cheese, the cheeses are aged in its walk-in cheese room which is very unique in Hong Kong. The shop also offers a wide range of fine wines from around the world.

Classified Mozzarella Bar focuses on artisanal mozzarella. However, it also offers a range from simple dishes such as bacon wrapped deep fried mozzarella, a fresh daily selection of pastas, soups and sandwiches to something more extravagant like Oscietra caviar. Sometimes the daily sandwiches are made with other cheeses such as feta, goat's cheese and more from The Cheese Room. Also on offer is fresh mozzarella that is just 2-3 days old. It is served with olive oil and tomatoes - (five kinds to be exact some of which are organic tomatoes from Italy and Australia). There's a wine selection of over 150 labels to provide the perfect gourmet pairing. Because of its delicate flavor, mozzarella is best paired with a lighter wine. The acidity of white wine makes mozzarella and white wine a good match. Red wine can be quite overpowering with the delicate flavour of the cheese.

So doesn't all this make you wonder how cheese is made? In essence, cheese is made by removing the water from milk and allowing the resulting milk solids or curds to spoil in a controlled manner. Collecting and preparing the milk is the first stage in the process. The second stage is the production of curds and the third the concentration of these curds by cutting, cooking and salting. Finally, the cheese is ripened. Each of these stages is crucial not only to producing good-quality cheese, but also in determining what kind of cheese is produced. For example, the way in which the curds are cut will affect the texture of the cheese and the method of salting will affect the way in which the cheese ripens. Having had your curiosity about cheese piqued now, don't forget to impress your guests with a cheese platter or fondue next time you entertain at home!

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