BootsnAll Travel Community

Does anyone know if I can bring cheese back to the US?
I am flying out of Dublin to Chicago and I want to keep my cheese.
Piper

US Customs website about what is and isn't allowed to be brought back. An excerpt:

"You may bring bakery items and certain cheeses into the United States. The APHIS web site features a Travelers Tips section and Game and Hunting Trophies section that offers extensive information about bringing food and other products into the country. Many prepared foods are admissible. However, almost anything containing meat products, such as bouillon, soup mixes, etc., is not admissible."

Are you just going to Dublin? Or will you go out to western Ireland? I highly recommend it.

There are some restrictions on cheeses made raw milk which haven't been aged over a certain number of days. In reality, it seems the rules are rarely enforced for individual travelers. It’d be too hard to train every customs officer to know the intricacies of the thousands of cheeses out there. I’ve brought back tons of cheese from France, and upon declaring it, they’ve always let me pass without too much questioning.

quote:

Originally posted by Piper:
I want to keep my cheese.

For some reason that statement makes me laugh.

They really hate soft cheese suspended in water.

nerokerr: What's so funny about it. Being born and raised in a cheese country, you can't imagine how much I suffer in cheddar invested countries (I call it cheese-like substance).

Adrian

Same here elAdi - being born in germany and growing up with german eating habits... it shits me when I go to Coles / Woolies and I have to buy Coon Tasty.

When I'm in Europe I'm going to put on 5 kilos just from all the cheese i consume!

J

Oh come on you two, take the blinkers off as there is much more cheese about than Kraft cheddar or Coon tasty.

There's even a swiss fella in Tassie who claims his cheese is even better than the cheese from those Alpine flowers/grass cows.

Sounds like the Irish must have a knack in it too and considering the Irish that could be funny.

Gonorth it's true! You really have to go to a deli or to a cheesemaker to find any good cheese or at least variation!

Supermarket no chance.

J

Jules, tyhat may be so in the dairy section, but most supermarkets also have a gourmet section or ones I've been in do have.

I can't speak for Oz, but the cheese selection in US supermarkets is still somewhat weak. It's changing a bit, but the mainstream supermarkets usually limit themselves to mainstream, pasteurized, and bland cheeses. Just because the package says "brie" or "comte," it doesn't mean it's good. Also, it can be quite depressing when you pay more for this sub-par industrial cheese than you'd pay for a fermier or artisinal version of the same cheese in Europe.

The fancy, yuppie, organic markets like Whole Foods and what not have somewhat better selections, but they still favor pasteurized cheeses, selection is fairly limited, and even the genuinely good cheeses are often on the shelf too long (or ruined in transit?). And the price! It's usually double or triple compared to Europe.

That leaves locally-made cheeses, which are are hit and miss in the US. Some are quite good. But they seem to price on the import model. You shouldn't have to pay $8 for some wannabe crottin de chavignol. The US cheese market will continue to suck until there are enough good producers and habitual eaters to bring prices down. For now, it's still a niche market ...

Gonorth - living in Sydney (but also having lived in QLD for 8 years) there is probably more variations in cheeses here. It's all not that bad - I guess Mersey Valley, Tibla & King Island soft and blue cheeses are available in the supermarkets. But you gotta agree more average cheeses make up the majority of the section. You go get a sandwich at the local shop, or cheese is served with your meal someway - nearly everytime guaranteed it will be bega tasty chedder or something like that.

In Germany you ask for a "Kase Semmel" and you get real cheese and real bread guaranteed! None of this Coon and Tip Top crap! lol

But in saying that, Australia has improved immensly in terms of deli goods / small goods compared to when we arrived in Australia 17 years ago.

J

For sure Jules, the masses palate for Bega or whatever takes centre stage and tiptop white and rubbery slices is what is used for the masses by the sandwich shop as standard fare and gourmet sandwich shops are few and far between.
Have you been into Myers as they have a pretty good gourmet food/deli section - not too sure if they do sandwiches tho.

The cheese section at The David Jones Food Hall in Sydney City is to die for.

J