A Thousand Times No

I recently learned from a radio story on “The World” that the United States will soon be imposing a 300% duty on Roquefort cheese.  The expensive, aromatic foodstuff is already subject to a 100% tariff, and now it will effectively double in cost. This price hike is the result of a last-minute cowpoke-in-the-eye from the Bush administration, its retaliatory response to the European Union’s imposition of duties on hormone-treated American beef.

Come March, we can look forward to paying around $70/pound Stateside for the privilege of enjoying the pungent King of Cheeses.  Roquefort producers, the Washington Post reports, lament that this is effectively a ban on their historically unique product.

Meanwhile, I got while the getting was still good, making off to the checkout lane with a small wedge of Roquefort Carles this weekend after also sampling Roquefort from Papillon (peppery, with a vinegary finish) and Société (tangy, tart).  The cheesemongers at DiBruno Brothers fretted about the upcoming price hike on Roquefort, predicting that most people would turn to gorgonzola or other blue cheeses when faced with the sky-high cost of authentic Roquefort in the midst of an economic downturn.

Since the famous French cheese will soon be moving to somewhere far above my pay grade, I figured I’d have a final nibble as a hedge against regret.  As the shopworn parable says, “The quicker you let go of the old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy the new cheese.” A new cheese that isn’t fraught with quite so many issues, is kinder to the wallet, and maybe stinks a tad less.

Yes, I could do with some of that on my plate.