Give me a break! I know food has become more politically charged than ever before, especially with all the agitating some of us (ahem!) are doing on our national food issues, school lunches, etc.
But it does seem absurd to me that the U.S. wanted to raise the tariff starting today on Roquefort cheese as a way to retaliate against the EU’s rejection of hormone-laced U.S. beef. (You don’t want to get me started on the subject of adding hormones to beef.)
Yes, the cost of the esteemed French bleu could skyrocket if the tariff goes up 300%, as reported in the New York Times, in a story about a planned Farewell To Roquefort event at Murray’s Cheese. While the tariff increase is now on hold for a month while the Obama administration revisits the topic, it could still happen, to Roquefort and other EU products (kiss that Pelligrino water goodbye, too).
This is a ridiculous thing that Bush did just before leaving office, and I hope Obama will reverse it. Sure, only about 2% of the Roquefort is exported to the U.S., making this a largely symbolic gesture, but, as with so many other things, is this really the message we want to be sending to our (so far) allies across the pond? It is so petty, it can’t possibly be worth the ill feeling it creates. Once again, we look, how you say? Stupide?
(Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a truly exceptional blue, I highly recommend either the Babaloo or Crema de Blue from Hunterdon County’s Valley Shepherd Creamery. I brought some home from yesterday’s indoor Farmers Market at Tre Piani.)
NJ SPICE 