posted 08-14-2002 09:41 AM            

This thread is a continuation of: Another Whatzit (click here)

Posted by smfc75 (posted 08-13-2002 11:55 PM in Another Whatzit (click here) :

Here's a picture of a "No. 24 Cheese Holder" in a 1906 Meriden Britannia Co. catalog.

There appears to be an additional piece which was held in the claws. Can't tell what it is, or even if it is silverplate. It certainly doesn't look like any cheese I've ever seen! Whatizit?

posted 08-15-2002 11:00 AM            

The thing sitting in the holder might just be a fancy cheese ball. I believe cheese balls (as used with a cheese ball holder) were most likely hand formed and not the natural state of the cheese. In fact, I suspect cheese balls were made by combining several left over cheeses. To keep the cheese(s) from drying out too fast they probably covered the cheese with something like crusted walnuts or something else. To make the ball look even fancier they might have scored the exterior as pictured in your catalog image.

I believe a cheese scoop or as it is properly named, a Stilton scoop would not have worked well with a cheese ball. The only way I can imagine a scoop being used is if the holder held a small wheel of Stilton cheese. However, I don't think when cheese ball holders came into vogue that they made Stilton wheels sized small enough (as it is today).

The scoop is most often refereed to as a serving piece. Its real first purpose was to prepare (at table) the large (17 lb.) wheel of Stilton cheese. Stilton cheese is a blue cheese. A cheese scoop would be inserted into the middle center of the top of the Stilton wheel. Then twisting and turning the scoop would cause the cheese to crumble along the distinctive blue "veins." With the blue "vein" on the outside surface, a crumbled piece of the cheese would look more interesting. Since the "vein" would also be the first part of the cheese to touch your tongue, it was supposed to enhance the overall favor experience.

Cheese is a much smaller part of today's meal, so the Stilton Society in England no longer recommends using a Stilton Scoop. Instead they recommend cutting the cheese into serving size wedges. This way there is less waste and the unused portions can be properly wrapped so as to not dry out.

I have compared Stilton cheese properly crumbled verses cut and think crumbled really tastes better.