We’re getting closer, and our path is becoming more and more treacherous, littered with the discarded rinds of defeated curds.
My goodness, yesterday was a battle for the ages! Asiago maintained a steady lead over upstart Havarti, but Parmigiano and Feta were down to the wire–so much so that, when I had finished going through the votes individually (HEY! You there, voting twice/clicking both boxes! I have to disqualify your votes and recalculate the percentages, so stop that!), a margin of only two votes put Parmigiano ahead of Feta. BUT! What with its exceptional showing, I’m bumping Feta up to Wild Card status; it will compete next week with the winner of Day 10.
Results for Day 8:
Parmigiano 50% v. Feta 50%
Havarti 42% v. Asiago 58%
Today’s match-ups feature a bunch of staples. First up: the ubiquitous Mozzarella, in combat with the delectable Gruyère. Will utility and flexibility triumph over a piller of the cheesemaker’s art? Next, Chevre and Monterey Jack compete for your attention and affection. Goaty freshness, or mild versatility?
The burden lies on you, dear Persephoneers; you must be bold and swift in your judgments, ruthless in your engagement with the enemy, vociferous in defense of your own position! May the best cheese triumph!
36 replies on “The Big Cheese Bracket: Day 9”
I really only know Jack by name. I feel ashamed and I’m thinking about pulling back from this bracket.
Don’t be silly! Not knowing some cheeses certainly hasn’t stopped anyone else ;)
I’m glad Parm won, but how does Havarti lose to a niche cheese like Asiago? How!!!!!!????!!!!
Because Asiago is interesting and Havarti isn’t?
*runs away laughing*
Because Asiago is interesting and Havarti isn’t? *runs away laughing*
I think you might be confusing “interesting” with “shows up awkwardly to the party it wasn’t invited to, hangs around for a bit, and then leaves much to everyone’s pleasure.” Â :P
“Everyone” at that party must be pretty boring… and Asiago has an open invitation wherever it goes!
Crap. I clicked on Gruyere before I remembered about Buffalo Mozzarella. I want a re-do.
I promise that I’ll give you one should a win be by a very close margin :)
Why are you making me choose between mozzarella and gruyere? What kind of sadistic jerk are you?
I will admit, I double clicked on Feta and Parmigiano. I just couldn’t pick. It’s like choosing between children, I’d imagine. Don’t actually know ’cause I don’t have kids
Yeah, some of these are like the Sophie’s choice of cheese.
It’s funny you should say that. Initially that’s what I put in my comment “The Sophie’s choice of Cheese” then I took it down because I was afraid someone would take it the wrong way.
Funny world.
Feta… :( I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.
I have a feeling I’m going to foster a deep seated hatred for Parmigiano now. That said, my favorite in this round is Monterrey Jack, though. I shiver at the thought of goat cheese. Bad experience from a few years ago.
And this just occurred to me, but why are types of cheeses capitalized? As far as I know, they aren’t proper nouns, right?
I capitalized everything ’cause I like consistency. The majority of the cheeses *are* properly capitalized, as they are essentially proper names. But in regular usage, of course, people will disregard that… think of Swiss cheese. People write it as ‘swiss cheese’ often enough, but ‘Swiss’ is an adjective for a country, and thus should always be capitalized. Likewise, a bunch of these are basically trademarked, again calling for capitalization. It’s not actually that big a deal, but I’m an editor and tend to err on the side of proper… and then adjust for consistency if I feel like it!
I did what had to be done. I voted for cheeses I thought might have a chance as we move forward.
Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack.
I’m confused and terrified.
[Psst… we balanced each other out! I was always a chevre girl, and ultimately I went Gruyere because it does tasty things that nothing else can.]
Hey, Pam… they both have a much needed place in the cheese world. And, in my mind, Monterey Jack is representing for Muenster and Colby, so hopefully that eases your conscience.
sigh, if my picks don’t win (gruyere & chevre), i will be ANGRY.
if chèvre does not win I am moving.
(where do Canadians say they’ll move to when things don’t go their way? Australia?)
New Zealand ;)
Come, come my pretty! We have lots of cows and milk. Too bad it all gets turned into milk powder and sent to China, but we do have some pretty fabulous cheese here. I’m pretty sure you can’t raise cows on eucalyptus leaves.
how is this even fair, to have to choose between gruyere and mozzarella?! Â gah!
Chevre is a no-brainer for me–love Monterey Jack, but it’s boring!–but I still can’t decide between Mozzarella and Gruyere. Gruyere is so immensely wonderful, but real fresh good marvelous Mozzarella… ARGH. I don’t know what to do, and I’ve been pondering this match all week!
Indeed. There can be no competition between chevre, that wondrous thing, and jack, a flavourless cheese of boringness. CHEVRE FOREVER. VALENCAY UNTIL I CAN EAT NO MORE VALENCAY which btw will never happen.
TEAM FETA.
Also, gruyere and chevre for all the things! Because flavor and stuff!
WAIT! It says Parmigiano and Feta are tied at 50/50! HOW DOES THAT MEAN PARMIGIANO WON!?
I CALL FOR A RE-VOTE.
Don’t Iowa the vote. I mean, I’m sad feta lost, too, but in the big picture neither one is gonna take it all.
The form we use for the bracket doesn’t do fractions of percentages. The reality is probably something like 50.3% to 49.7%. It was only a two-vote margin, after all…
I’m just bitter.
I put my blame on the willy-nilly ballot suffers who chose to vote for both cheese options!
You shouldn’t–I discarded those votes :)
I know! That’s why I’m sad. If they had picked one, maybe we would have had an outright win for team feta! No worries, Wildcard Cinderella story, here we come!!
*shakes fist*
Don’t despair! After all, Feta is a Wild Card; it’s not a complete wash yet!