I can't believe it. Ibaraki Eats has been going for two years now! What better way to celebrate this occasion than to talk about some amazing cheese in Tsukuba.
A friend of mine and I were in the middle of a zoom chat when I saw her eating some sliced cheese. I asked her what it was and she told me it was some camembert cheese she had bought recently. She then went on about a shop in Tsukuba that specialized in cheese and that I should go visit it. She had me at "specialized in cheese" and I vowed to visit soon. Two days later, the Ibaraki Eats Duo was in front of Fromagerie La Marinere.
Fromagerie La Marinere
Fromagerie La Marinere is located in the Amakubo area of Tsukuba. It is not too far from the Mexican restaurant El Torito. When you get to this small cheese place, parking is on the left side.
Inside
When I opened the door and walked inside, I was automatically hit with a strong scent of different cheeses. It was heaven. Then, I looked to my right and my heart stopped at the sight of the refrigerators holding so many different cheeses. All of them calling out to me, and me in a state of wonder.
So much cheese
My wife and I were looking around at the different cheeses when a member of the cheese paradise's staff came up to us. She asked if it was our first time visiting, which it was, and then explained how the system works. She spoke in both English and Japanese which was a plus. The staff member explained that all the cheese was priced by weight, and we could select a cheese and they would slice it for us if we wanted that option. I was so overwhelmed by all the different cheeses that I asked her for any recommendations. She told us about three cheeses that were popular and we bought all three. The staff member then added, that salami goes great with cheese. Amazing sales pitch.
And salami too
This place had a lot of salami. A lot of different salami. I know next to nothing about salami except that it is delicious and it does indeed, go with cheese. I again asked the staff member for her recommendation on which salami to get. She told us that the tartufo salami was the most popular, and that is what we got. We bought three different cheeses and one long piece of salami. We couldn't wait to try it at home. After paying, we thanked the staff for all their help and promised to come back someday.
We got home and that night we got ready to try some salami and cheese.
Tartufo Salami
I sliced up some pieces of salami and popped one slice in my mouth. Amazing. So moist, so meaty. I felt like I was having salami specifically made for kings. My wife was also very impressed and I had to control myself before I would finish it all right then and there. Definitely give this salami a chance when you visit this place.
Mimolette Cheese
This cheese doesn't play around, and the staff let me know as much. She explained that this was a strong hard cheese that went well with wine. That night the Ibaraki Eats Duo had a bottle of Carbernet Sauvignon and gave this cheese a try. After trying this cheese, my first thought was, "I need to buy more." It was divine. It was a hard cheese, which I liked, and the strong cheese taste with wine was just perfect. It is a perfect cheese to slice up and have with salami as well. I highly recommend getting this cheese if you plan on checking out this cheese paradise.
Comte AOP
Feel like having some fantastic French cheese that took 8 months to perfect? Then you have to try this Comte AOP. On a clear Sunday night, I decided to grate this cheese over my pasta. Before I did that, I cut a slice and gave it a try. The French really know what they are doing when it comes to cheese. This cheese took me to cheese paradise and back. It had a slight nutty taste that was delightful. After trying that slice, I grated the cheese over the spaghetti I made spaghetti and had dinner with my wife that evening. The spaghetti was instantly more delicious thanks to that cheese, but I think grating it is sort of a waste. This cheese with wine is the way to go, and don't forget the salami. My wife loved this cheese and let me know that we would be buying it again. Can't argue with that.
Tomme Des Croquants
This was the last cheese in our cheese bounty. Tomme Des Croquants cheese was a lot softer than the other two cheeses I bought. The staff told us it was made with hazelnut so I was really excited to enjoy this cheese. I cut off a slice and gave it a try. It did indeed have a heavier flavor of nuts and it sort of melted in your mouth. It was an excellent cheese but it wasn't my favorite of the three. It did go exceptionally well with the salami but not with wine. I would buy this cheese again but I would still want to give the other cheeses a try before I do.
Fromagerie La Marinere was an amazing experience. I learned about cheeses I didn't even know existed and tasted cheese heaven. I will say that going to this shop is a sort of luxury. The salami and cheese I bought was not cheap, but it was worth every yen. The Ibaraki Eats Duo does plan on going back because we have way more cheeses to buy.
So if you are in Tsukuba and are a cheese connoisseur, Fromagerie La Marinere is a cheese paradise you must visit. Who knows, you might see me there, buying a bunch of different cheeses to try with a huge smile on my face.
Enjoy!
For more information on Fromagerie La Marinere, check out their website:
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