Decent Brie or Camembert?

[alphamike]

Been so yearning for some decent creamy Brie/Camembert. Anyone know if anywhere stocks any, preferably east side of Girne or far east Iskele/Famagusta?
I've only been able to get small rounds Emborg and some other name I've forgotten. They are ok for cooking with, but that's about it.

[mrsgee]

Sah supermarket normally has a good selection of cheeses.

[alphamike]

Thanks MrsGee. Had forgotten about Sah.

[forestpixie]

We get the emborg ones

[alphamike]

FP I get that too, but it's a bit disappointing for serving with crusty bread or crackers. It's fine done in panko breadcrumbs and baked in oven served with a preserve or chutney.

[kibsolar1999]

Been so yearning for some decent creamy Brie/Camembert.

in TRNC not available.

[alphamike]

Thanks Kibsolar, I certainly haven't seen any. However, I am still going to try Sah, just in case. I usually get round things that I can't get here by making them, but this one is beyond me.

[mrsgee]

I think sah may be your best bet. In the past we have also got proper gorgonzola, and Italian dolcelatte from there, just depends what they have but worth giving it a go. Good luck.

[alphamike]

Thanks MrsGee. Have had gorgonzola and dolcelatte before here too, but not seen it for a good while now. It's always a bit of a hit and miss here with imported cheese. Another of my favourites is Cambazola, but never found it here. Anyway, a trip to Sah is calling me, and hope that I won't be disappointed.

[benjaminbutton]

Hope you're not disappointed, like you its a bit of a trip but I do my recycling there as well as having their coffee and their cherry croissants (get there early) Take away cottages pies and lasagna good as well, more than enough for two from one portion.!!

[alphamike]

So do I BB, but I'll investigate other delights whilst there then. I look enviously at the ready made food in supermarkets, but there doesn't ever seem to be hot vegetarian fare on offer anywhere, or I'm too fed up with shopping perhaps and just want out. I'll check out their ready made food anyway, just in case. They also used to do extremely good chocolate eclairs from memory.
Tatlisu bele do recycling, so at least I won't have that to do as well. We get a mini waste truck come round to uplift recycling stuff. It's a pity they don't do the same out west side.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Thanks Kibsolar, I certainly haven't seen any. However, I am still going to try Sah, just in case. I usually get round things that I can't get here by making them, but this one is beyond me.

I think you’ll be disappointed by the Brie and Camembert in Sah

[forestpixie]

Emborg is the best of a bad bunch

[alphamike]

Thanks ETC and FP, I'll lower my expectations, not that they were that high in the first place. Just sick of paying high price for rubbish.
I was starting to think my taste buds had changed as I've found a lot of fruit such as peaches, pineapple, avocado and plums mediocre or inedible at the moment. Turns out quite a few of my friends and neighbours have found the same. It's not as if the stuff is cheap any more. Oh well, there's another moan to throw into the mix.

[forestpixie]

Avocados are tricky, we've had great ones and rubbish ones

[kibsolar1999]

Thanks ETC and FP, I'll lower my expectations, not that they were that high in the first place. Just sick of paying high price for rubbish.
I was starting to think my taste buds had changed as I've found a lot of fruit such as peaches, pineapple, avocado and plums mediocre or inedible at the moment. Turns out quite a few of my friends and neighbours have found the same. It's not as if the stuff is cheap any more. Oh well, there's another moan to throw into the mix.

again, you have no real chance to get a decent, creamy (and tasty) camembert or brie in TRNC. its all rubber.

[alphamike]

Kibsolar. You have explained exactly what it's like here. If they, whoever they are, go to the bother of importing it, you'd think they might try to get something half decent.

[Nc2016]

You won’t get it here AM. Sah do have a very nice Wensley Dale with fruit bits in. In tiny pieces and very expensive.

Proper wedges of Brie, I’ve only ever seen in Alpha Mega down south. Totally different taste and texture to what we get here. But Soft cheese doesn’t freeze well so it’s not like you could ask someone to get you loads.

After years working in the Middle East, I’ve learned to live with the Emborg type, but agree it’s not a patch on the decent stuff.

[alphamike]

Thanks NC. I do like the fruity Wensleydale. What am I talking about, I just love tasty cheese.
I don't particularly want to go south, and am sure that I can't drive there, still having the ancient paper driving licence.
As you say, Brie is not suitable for freezing, although I do freeze it in panko breadcrumbs for baking in oven, and that's fine as it goes, but that's the rubber Emborg type.
It's a pity that some enterprising person doesn't open a cheese shop and stock decent cheese here.
Still going to venture to Sah though as it's been a very long time since I've been there. Will load up my Chase account before I go though. Anyone sees anyone fainting by the cheese counters, will be me at the prices!
!

[Nc2016]

AM - I think my favourite one in Sah had mango and pineapple (?) in it. They also had one with cranberries. IIRC a tiny piece was over 150tl but it was lovely!

I didn’t see it on the actual deli counter though. It was in the last fridge counter by the other cheeses that Sah has packaged.

[kibsolar1999]

It's a pity that some enterprising person doesn't open a cheese shop and stock decent cheese here.
Anyone sees anyone fainting by the cheese counters, will be me at the prices!

the "decent, especially soft-cheese community" is simply to small. try to make a cypriot or turk, a pakistani or african (and many others) eat a piece of "well matured" camembert.. no chance. same applies for Gorgonzola, Roquefort and others.
on top, good ( and imported ) cheese will/must be pricy. you will get a "hype", see fainting people buying 50 grams and that was it, shop closed.
but the prices for the "lower-middle" quality stuff you can get here, eg Sah, are ridiculous. maybe there is an "extra duty" for imported stuff to "protect the local cheese production".
on Greek side you can get the "acceptable" stuff, but they have corresponding problems.

[alphamike]

Yes understand all that Kibsolar, thank you. You are so right re Cypriots, Turks etc not liking or wanting to try "foreign" stuff. One of my friends here hates my home made yoghurt, made from local stuff, because I make it creamy, he thought I was trying to poison him by the look on his face. Well, at least I was in no doubt not to offer again. So I suppose a lovely piece of Brie or Camembert would be handled in the same way.