Whole Foods Epic Cheese Fail

[Kermor]

The French cheese lovers of Twitter are having a little fun at the expense of Whole Foods after photos popped up online showing what appears to be a crime against the world's best cheese.

Labeled "Cheeses From France," the displays — allegedly seen in Detroit and Washington D.C. stores — features a stylized map of the country that incorrectly pinpoints the origins of cheeses famously named for the places they're produced.

http://mashable.com/2017/09/05/whole.../#ibNDuqhivPq1

The only logical reason I can see for this wildly inaccurate map is that Whole Foods was having a contest, in which you could win a set of cheeses if you put them accurately on the map. Otherwise, we have to believe that the person responsible for it didn't do the necessary research, whih, in these days were everything is available on the net, is reaaly an epic fail. Here's the offending map :



And here's an accurate map, found in less than five seconds using "map of french cheeses" on Google :



I'm puzzled, frankly.

[Beachlife!]

I imagine they were just creating an interesting sign and didn't think it mattered. Its not like someone is going to select their cheese based on where it appears on the map.

[Richard W]

Some of them are named after places, though! Isigny is in Normandy, for example. It would be like having a map of the States and putting Baked Alaska in Florida, and Philadelphia Cheese in San Francisco...

[dfresh]

Originally Posted by Beachlife!

I imagine they were just creating an interesting sign and didn't think it mattered. Its not like someone is going to select their cheese based on where it appears on the map.

Most people do choose their foods based on the latitude of origin, though. Or am I the only one?

[WildaBeast]

Well since Amazon owns Whole Foods now, their employees are probably just going to follow you around saying "I see you're buying Camembert. You might also like Brie. Or Munster..."

[ChasFink]

Originally Posted by Richard W

It would be like having a map of the States and putting Baked Alaska in Florida, and Philadelphia Cheese in San Francisco...

And of course you know Baked Alaska almost certainly didn't originate in Alaska (stories claim the name came from restaurants in New York and/or New Orleans) and Philadelphia brand cream cheese started in New York state. Just sayin'...

Originally Posted by WildaBeast

Well since Amazon owns Whole Foods now, their employees are probably just going to follow you around saying "I see you're buying Camembert. You might also like Brie. Or Munster..."

More like "people who bought this cheese also bought whole bean coffee, organic eggs, and powdered wasabi" and "frequently bought together: Camembert, wheat crackers, caviar".

[GenYus234]

I only eat foods from regions with less than 5° of magnetic declination.

[Beachlife!]

Originally Posted by Richard W

Some of them are named after places, though! Isigny is in Normandy, for example. It would be like having a map of the States and putting Baked Alaska in Florida, and Philadelphia Cheese in San Francisco...

I understand that, and if I were to make the sign I'd make it more accurate, but as I said its just a sign with a graphic on it. Its not designed to be accurate.

If they are going to put points and arrows on the sign, they should pay more attention to accuracy, but its not what I would call an Epic Cheese fail. An Epic cheese fail would be labeling the actual cheese incorrectly.

Regarding foods named after places, at least in the United States, this doesn't necessarily denote the place it was made. I've bough fresh made Mackinac Island fudge far from the island. The same goes with San Francisco sour dough, New York bagels, New England clam chowder and so many other foods.

[dfresh]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

I only eat foods from regions with less than 5° of magnetic declination.

Yeah, foods get too metallic when they are from over 6°.

[WildaBeast]

Originally Posted by Beachlife!

Regarding foods named after places, at least in the United States, this doesn't necessarily denote the place it was made. I've bough fresh made Mackinac Island fudge far from the island. The same goes with San Francisco sour dough, New York bagels, New England clam chowder and so many other foods.

I suspect many New Yorkers will claim that the bagels aren't as good if they weren't actually made in New York, though. But I understand your point, that since the US doesn't have AOC laws like France, most foods named after places have just come to denote a particular style of food that originated in that place, not necessarily the actual place where it was made. I suspect most people don't even know that Colby cheese originated in Colby, Wisconsin. They just see it as the name for certain style of cheese.

Now I'm kind of craving a Philly cheesesteak.

[Beachlife!]

I've heard that claim about New York bagels and I wouldn't disagree with it. I might make a similar claim about Mackinac Island fudge or San Francisco sourdough. Regarding the latter, I have it flown in from Fisherman's Wharf for Thanksgiving every year and not because we can't find sour dough anywhere near my home.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by WildaBeast

I suspect many New Yorkers will claim that the bagels aren't as good if they weren't actually made in New York, though.

No doubt.

I strongly prefer bagels that are boiled before baking, which is what really makes NY bagels better than/different than supermarket bagels, Panera or Tim Horton bagels, etc.

[overyonder]

Originally Posted by Lainie

No doubt.

I strongly prefer bagels that are boiled before baking, which is what really makes NY bagels better than/different than supermarket bagels, Panera or Tim Horton bagels, etc.

Until you try a Montreal boiled-then-wood-fired bagel...

OY

[Lainie]

Oh, that looks delicious.

There's a deli in Columbus, started decades ago by a family from NY, that has wonderful boiled bagels. After 4 years working on this campus, I just found out a few weeks ago that the main building cafeteria carries those bagels at breakfast.

[Esprise Me]

Originally Posted by Lainie

No doubt.

I strongly prefer bagels that are boiled before baking, which is what really makes NY bagels better than/different than supermarket bagels, Panera or Tim Horton bagels, etc.

Wait, what? I thought boiling before baking was what made it a bagel. How else do you get the smooth exterior?

[GenYus234]

They can be steam baked, were steam is injected into the oven as they are baked.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Esprise Me

Wait, what? I thought boiling before baking was what made it a bagel. How else do you get the smooth exterior?

IDK, but boiling before baking is the reason that real/NYC-style bagels have a chewier, less bread-like texture than Lenders/Thomas/fast food bagels.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by ChasFink

And of course you know Baked Alaska almost certainly didn't originate in Alaska (stories claim the name came from restaurants in New York and/or New Orleans) and Philadelphia brand cream cheese started in New York state. Just sayin'...

Being from the UK, he might not. I think the Philly association he was going for was more likely the Philly cheese steak, which did originate in Philadelphia. There's no cream cheese in it, Philadelphia or any other brand. AFAIK there's no such thing as "Philly cheese," although I can understand why you might think there was if you'd heard the term "Philly cheese steak" but didn't know what was on it.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

They can be steam baked, were steam is injected into the oven as they are baked.

Which would explain why the exterior appearance is changed, but not the texture of the bagel as a whole.

[WildaBeast]

So when Kramer broke the steam valve in that bagel shop in that Seinfeld episode, he might have actually been improving the bagels?