Cabot's OU Cheddar

[Joe]

FYI the 10oz OU Cabot's Cheddar Block is on sale this week at shopcabot.com. They say they will be deciding in a few months whether to continue the OU run.

[p.j.]

Well, I hope it counts that I do my bit by buying a block of the select at Trader Joe's here in St. Louis every month or so.

[renfrew]

If they dont continue the OU run, they will still be Tablet certified right?

[Harlan]

Yes, that appears to be the case.

Cabot's provided an interview to Kosherblog.net in which they said basically that O-U versus Tablet-K is a marketing issue and that their production practices do (will) not change regardless of oversight. Rather, this is an issue of return on investment considering the apparently significant cost differential between "brands" of oversight.

[Charlie Hall]

Other than cost, what is the difference between a Tablet-K Cabot cheese and an OU Cabot cheese?

[Joe]

The chief distinction from a kashrut standpoint is that the OU requires full-time supervision during the production of hard cheeses (givinat yisrael), while the Tablet K does not.

[Clarissa]

There is absolutely no difference in how the cheese is made. Not a bit. It's exactly as kosher either way. It's all in the perception of the consumer.

[David]

That's not correct. The OU requires that an observant Jew pitch the rennet in milk that becomes cheese, the Tablet-K goes not. Call them and they will confirm this.

[renfrew]

Still perception of consumer as to what is kosher vs not. Practices might be slightly different among brands of supervision, but the question of whether the cheese is less/more kosher is still a consumer's perception.

It is nice that Cabot is doing this trial run though as it will open their cheese to a different audience. I recently ordered their 5 year old cheddar. Very excited to try it.

Someone asked me if Cabot tastes different now that it is kosher. Having had both pre kosher and post kosher cabot, I happily told them it did not. Amazing what a little symbol on a package will do to a person's perception of taste let alone perception of kashrut!

[David]

Yes, it is up to each consumer to decide what meets his/her kosher standards. But still, it is incorrect to state that the cheese is made in exactly the same way regardless of supervision, because the OU supervised cheese has the rennet added by an observant Jew -this is different from the Tablet K process. It is up to each consumer to decide if this difference matters to them.

[JugglerDave]

Perhaps the question about the taste difference is because some kosher cheese (e.g. Miller) tastes unbelievably bland.

I personally have a hard time even distinguising between the tastes of the Miller "edam", "cheddar", "mozarella", "gouda", "muenster" etc. Sometimes we joke that they come off the same assembly line and just have different plastic wrappers put on at the end.

Cabot cheddar cheese, on the other hand, is absolutely delicious and excellent.

-=$>Dave<$=-

[renfrew]

Agree on the Miller front. All of their cheese tastes the same. Except for the American. I like it much better than non-kosher american I have tried.

[p.j.]

Actually, we like the Miller's wedges of Parmesan-Reggiano. Do any of you know of another, better tasting Parmesan that has a hecksher?

[DeisCane]

Yes, it's actually pretty good, but the best kosher parm I've gotten is from Italy. It's sold in Fairway in NYC. I cannot recall the name right now, unfortunately.

[Joe]

The brand is Gran Duca and it can also be purchased online at kosheritalia.com. Personally, I am in need of a Fairway run myself.

[p.j.]

Joe,
Thanks SO much! I will try to locate the Gran Duca/get it carried here in St. Louis.

p.j.

[DeisCane]

The one I buy at Fairway is NOT Gran Duca. It's called Pieffe. See the link.

Link: http://www.sirio.com/fanticini/Englis...

[p.j.]

Thanks very much for your response.
I just sent an e-mail to Mr. Fancini to find out which of their other cheeses are kosher, and how I can purchase them here in St. Louis.
Zie gezunt!

[Clarissa]

I get great, Italian kosher parmesan by the chunk at Zabars.

[renfrew]

Whole foods sells an excellent, albeit expensive kosher PR.

[p.j.]

Do you know the brand name??? If I know, I can request it at our WF here in ST. Louis. Is it "on the shelf" or in the bulk cheese display?

We do buy the Israeli sheep's milk feta that Whole Foods gets in bulk and then repackages and has on the shelf with other feta cheeses. I forget the name of the dairy, but they brought out the original package for me to see at one time.

Thanks for your help, p.j.

[Harlan]

Your observations are correct as to what O-U requires: But we dont know that Cabot does not already employ a Jew in that capacity.

This situation is the clearest example that kashrut oversight in and of itself has made the ability to keep an observant home expesive for no reason other than to generate revenue of the oversight agency.

One would think that all efforts should be made to lower the barrier if observence of Mitzvot will hasten the coming of the Mosiach.

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