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Rating: 
- OK, but an overwhelming French bias
This is an attractive small book, well-laid out and with reasonable photography. It has interesting initial chapters on the seasonality of cheese, the importance of terroir and the fundamentals of cheese making and storing. The photos are utilarian rather than lush or styled, but still attractive.
There is no doubt that Barthelmy is an expert on French cheese. However, this book claims to be a book about the cheeses of the world and there is no way that it is that comprehensive.
The subtitle to the book is 1200 cheeses and 100 favourites, and that is the catch, because Barthelmy is strongly biased towards French cheese.
Cheeses are divided into families rather than categorised by country of origin, as is more usual, so under the Manchego family, instead of a description of all the many manchego-like Spanish cheeses, there is a stock page on Manchego, followed by a list of French Manchego like cheeses.
Similarly, in the Cheddar family, the only English cheese which merits its own page is Sage Derby, which is described as delicious, but criticised for its lurid colouring, going on to talk about the other bizarre flavour combinations in English cheese (Wensleydale with apricots or ginger etc). Cheddar does not merit a page, nor does Lancashire, Wensleydale, Swaledale, Cheshire or Yarg, but Salers and Languoille do get a page in this section.
The Stilton family section does not get a page on Stilton either.
There is passing mention of English, Dutch, Swiss and Spanish cheese, but passing mention is all it is.
I love some of the descriptions of the French cheeses. I have no issue with the writing or indeed his comprehensive knowledge and passion for French cheese, but I found the nationalistic viewpoint arrogant and irritating in a book which purported to be somewhat wider than it is.
- OK, but an overwhelming French biasThis is an attractive small book, well-laid out and with reasonable photography. It has interesting initial chapters on the seasonality of cheese, the importance of terroir and the fundamentals of cheese making and storing. The photos are utilarian rather than lush or styled, but still attractive.
There is no doubt that Barthelmy is an expert on French cheese. However, this book claims to be a book about the cheeses of the world and there is no way that it is that comprehensive.
The subtitle to the book is 1200 cheeses and 100 favourites, and that is the catch, because Barthelmy is strongly biased towards French cheese.
Cheeses are divided into families rather than categorised by country of origin, as is more usual, so under the Manchego family, instead of a description of all the many manchego-like Spanish cheeses, there is a stock page on Manchego, followed by a list of French Manchego like cheeses.
Similarly, in the Cheddar family, the only English cheese which merits its own page is Sage Derby, which is described as delicious, but criticised for its lurid colouring, going on to talk about the other bizarre flavour combinations in English cheese (Wensleydale with apricots or ginger etc). Cheddar does not merit a page, nor does Lancashire, Wensleydale, Swaledale, Cheshire or Yarg, but Salers and Languoille do get a page in this section.
The Stilton family section does not get a page on Stilton either.
There is passing mention of English, Dutch, Swiss and Spanish cheese, but passing mention is all it is.
I love some of the descriptions of the French cheeses. I have no issue with the writing or indeed his comprehensive knowledge and passion for French cheese, but I found the nationalistic viewpoint arrogant and irritating in a book which purported to be somewhat wider than it is.
