Seriously? We are now supposed to be afraid of exploding cheese? I wish I were talking in the flavor sense, as in, “My GOD, that piece of Fourme d’Ambert created a taste explosion in my mouth!” but sadly, I’m talking about aviation regulations.
Ironically, when you consider the current administration’s hate for all things French, this ban comes not from the U.S. but from gay Paree. The Wall Street Journal reports:
[R]unny cheese is the latest casualty of stricter aviation security after Paris airport authorities announced a partial ban that hits French delicacies such as Camembert, Brie and Roquefort.
That’s right, you are no longer free to smuggle back a pungent wheel of sloshy Vacherin in your carry-on luggage because of the rampaging fear of homemade liquid explosives.
‘There’s nothing about cheese’ specifically in the list of banned substances, said Marja Quillinan-Meiland, transport spokeswoman for the European Commission. ‘But the rules do mention “liquid-solid mixtures” and “any other items of similar consistency.” You could interpret that to include cheese.’
And, apparently, they do. This stinks.
Merde! Stupid airline security is really messing with my favorite air travel habit — packing a lovely picnic lunch so I don’t have to eat the scary on-board food. Guess it’s gruyere or nothing now.
Holy crap! Since when is cheese a “mixture”? It’s a sad day when the French misinterpret cheesemaking…
One of the things that really confuses me is the author’s mention of Roquefort. It might get damp at times but it’s definitely not considered a soft cheese.
Recently, I brought a partially eaten round of Bianca from Hawthorne Valley Farm – http://www.hawthornevalleyfarm.com/dairy.html through JFK. They searched my bag *specifically* for the cheese. Upon determining it to be harmless (and delicious), they let me and the cheese go.
i had a sacher torte from vienna nearly confiscated on the way home! not by the viennese – they’d never dream of such a thing – but by some irritable germans. the chocolate’s crime? the thin layer of apricot marmelade somewhere around the middle. semi liquid, you see. luckily, i am sneakier than that!