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What the heck is ... boursin cheese?
 There
is absolutely nothing historic, traditional, or exotic about Boursin (boor-SAHN)
cheese. It was “invented” in 1964 by an independent, and very
market-savvy, French cheese maker in the town of Croisy-sur-Eure, in Normandy,
France. Boursin is a modern, creamery fresh cheese, formed into expensive
little 6.2 oz. cylindrical shapes without a rind. It is blended with garlic
and herbs and black pepper. Boursin is a soft industrial cheese with no
“affinage” (affinage = the special characteristics of a cheese
developed by its aging process). It has a rich, sweet flavor with a hint
of acidity,  and
the “whang” of herbs. The cheese is sold in a corrugated-foil
wrapper and is used as a gourmet table cheese for spreading and baking.
Think of it as a cross between cream-cheese and fresh Feta, laced with
herbs. At Tapino, we use it in our “Kalamata & Boursin Ravioli”
small-plate, and mixed into our “grilled polenta” sideshare.
Why? Because it tastes great, we admire the hype, and it adds a little
zip to these dishes.
The Boursin dairy was created in 1957 by François Boursin at Croisy-sur-Eure,
France. In 1964, Francois began marketing his newest creation, “Boursin
cheese”. Boursin cheese is a knockoff of some of the traditional
triple-cream and un-ripened cheeses produced in Normandy for many years.
The most likely victim of this identity theft is “Boursault”
cheese. Boursault is a very popular double cream cheese that is frequently found
in grocery stores across France. Boursault, the cheese, was invented in
1953 by Henri Boursault, and was originally made in six ounce drums. Oddly
enough, so is the more recently invented “Boursin” cheese.
Oh, by the way, Unilever Inc. now owns Boursin and recently also bought
up the Boursault company. Hmmmm … … interesting! Boursin,
since the start, has been produced in modern stainless steel vats with
pasteurized cow’s milk plus extra added cream and spices. “Boursin
Garlic & Fine Herbs” was the first flavored fresh cheese to
be mass marketed throughout France, and was soon followed by “Boursin Pepper”. When your guests
ask what variety of cheese you're serving, dazzle them by casually mentioning
that Boursin is an authentic “All Natural Gour-nay Cheese”.
When Francois Boursin first applied to export his creation, the rules
required that it be classified as to variety for customs purposes. He
chose the name "Gournay" for his cheese variety, naming it after
the small town in France where he grew up. (which, by the way, has no
cheese industry.) Today, every package of Boursin is labeled "All Natural Gournay Cheese,"
Of course, Boursin’s cheese is the only known example of this “natural
Gournay cheese”, and the name did not even exist until Francois
made it up. Ah, the power of clever marketing! By the way, did you know
that: Tapino is the only restaurant in the whole world, that is located
at 7000 E. Shea, in Scottsdale, and has a serpentine wine-wall? Yes, its
true! Shocking, isn’t it? We don’t often mention that wonderfully
amazing fact, because we are so very humble and modest. (but, if you want
to spread the word, feel free to do so!)
Boursin has always been a very market savvy cheese producer. First of
all, it is pack aged
in aluminum foil, which serves as its trademark identity. It is easy to
spot on the grocery shelf, and that is probably one of the reasons for
the commercial success of the cheese. It was also the first commercial
cheese product to be advertised on French TV in 1968. Its advertising
slogan "Du pain, du vin et du boursin" (Bread, wine and Boursin)
became one of the most well known slogans in French advertising history,
something akin to “Coke - the rea l
thing.” In 1983, Francois sold out his cheese empire to the food
industry mega-giant, Unilever Corporation. Today, Boursin Cheese is a
staple in the French kitchen, manuf actured
by the hundreds of tons, and is marketed in some 35 countries on five
continents. You can buy it in most any specialty food store in America.
There are now over 15 versions of the basic Bousin cheese (think “flavored
cream cheese”), ranging from regular, to pepper, to lite, to strawberry,
to herbed, to apple-cinnamon, to chive, to fig, to “raison-nut”
to “spreadable”, to God knows what! Philly Cream cheese ain’t
got nothing on those Unilever folks!
Boursin also produces a modern, market-sensitive product called “Boursin
Light Garlic & Fine Herbs”. Compared to the original, Boursin
Light has 78% less fat and 64% fewer calories. That is a good thing, because
the original Boursin contains 70% fat, and will clog an artery faster
than a bucket of big Macs.
Boursin cheese is living proof of the triumph of marketing over reality
and logic. It is one of the most actively promoted, modern, mass produced,
industrial food-like products in the world. And yet, it is considered
to be a “premium”, gourmet, artisanal cheese that sells for
big bucks. Ya’ gotta love that Gournay cheese! Damn! Isn’t
capitalism / consumerism a wonderful thing? ! ? ! ? By the way …
… Unilever also makes “Country Crock” fake butter.
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