[Mikitivity]

Here is a draft set of rules / description:

Quote: International Democratic Union Cheese Festival

The International Democratic Union Cheese Festival is an international event designed to promote cheese exports.  A wide variety of cheeses and dishes featuring cheese made in different International Democratic Union (IDU) member nations and other nations with strong ties to the IDU are submitted by private cheese makers.  Awards are given based on the following categories:

Best IDU Cheese
Best Imported Cheese to the IDU
Best Cheese Related Product

The festival is held annually during the second full moon at the city who?s cheese won the Best IDU IDU Cheese at the previous year?s festival.

The festival has been held in the following cities:
Free Land of the IDU (2006)

History:
Many of the nations of the IDU have a well established cheese markets.  Though it is common for countries to incorporate their own cheeses into many national dishes, growing economic cooperation between IDU members has increased the amount of cheese exported and imported in the IDU, thus increasing the popularity of cheese in many IDU nations.  The International Democratic Union Cheese Festival was originally sponsored by a number of cheese growers associations in various nations with the goal of promoting cheese consumption.

Festival Rules:
Nations may submit as many cheeses and cheese related products as they like.

Only cheeses that are produced in nations that are members of the IDU may submit entries into the ?Best IDU Cheese? category.

Cheese from nations that are not officially members of the IDU, but whom import cheese to any IDU member, must be submitted to the ?Best Imported Cheese to the IDU? category.

Any product (dish or otherwise) from any nation may be submitted in the Best Cheese Related Product categories, though it is recommended that entries into the Best IDU Cheese and Best Imported Cheese categories list  some of the popular food dishes that the cheeses are frequently made into.  Cheese related products need not be edible, but can include tools used to prepare or cook cheese or even drinks that go well with certain cheeses.

No product may be submitted into more than one category; however, a specific cheese related product may be entered even if the cheese used to make it has been submitted under either of the Best Cheese categories.

Entries should describe the cheese, so that judges may come back to review what the tested.

Up to one judge will be appointed from each nation that submits any entries, and then the judges can vote for one Best IDU Cheese, Best Import Cheese to the IDU, and Best Cheese Related Product.

Winning cheeses and cheese related products may use the International Democratic Union Cheese Festival logo on their products for as long as they like, but should display the years that their cheese won on the logo.
[/quote]

The second full moon should be slightly after Chinese New Year, and I think would allow us each year to prepare for the festival. We might need to include default language that bumps the festival back to the Freeland of the IDU in the event that a host nation is unable to host the festival.

It would be great if Sober Thought or anybody else could make a Cheese Festival logo!

The entries really are just whatever you want to write about. Well, so long as it is cheese (the food) related.
:worship:

[Mikitivity]

I added a poll here to gage how many of us might participate.

I'll start working on my entry and post it *before* the contest begins, so that you guys can either submit *better* entries or *different* entries (or both).

[Eisophca]

Ceorana would be interested in participate.

[Mikitivity]

Cool!

OK, since I've suggested that the festival be held during the *second full moon* of the year, that is now 28 days away.

That means that we all should start working on our entries.

With that in mind, I'll post mine in my next post in this thread. Please remember you are allowed *two* entries: (1) Best Cheese / (2) Best Cheese Related Product. Please disclose what category your entry is and if your nation is an IDU member or not, using the following basic header info (don't worry, we can edit your posts to include this info if you forget ... this is a Cheese festival, so the rules will be very lax).

Entry form:
Nation: (your nation name)
Home Region: (IDU or outside of IDU)
Entry Category: (Best IDU Cheese, Best Imported Chees to IDU, Best Cheese Related Product)
Entry: (talk about your cheese)


OK, in my next entry, I totally cheated. I went to NSWiki, I looked up a type of cheese dish that I personally love to eat, then modified it to reflect my nation's culture and talked a bit about the traditions around it. You'll see ... and don't be afraid to post "draft" entries and ask for help from others. Entries won't be final for a month ... this way we can all spend time working on our entries. If you have pictures of your cheese (cartoon or real) post the links in your entry.

[Mikitivity]

Nation: Mikitivity
Home Region: IDU
Entry Category: Best Cheese Related Product

Thuvian Fondue

Thuvian Fondue is a traditional communal cheese dish popular in Mikitivity where people take turns dipping forks with rye bread and bratwurst into an earthenware pot, called a kasetopf, of melted Brig cheese and white wine that is kept warm by a small burner. The white wine used in the dish varies by locale, but most Miervatians favour the use local wines. Spice m?lange is usually ground on top of the cheese as it cooks in the kasetopf by those whom are eating the fondue.

History

The people of the Mikitivity Thuvians invented Thuvian Fondue out of necessity. In the remote mountain villages people had to rely upon local food. During the long winters, fresh food became scarce. Miervatians found that by melting stale cheese it was edible. Local wines and seasonings, such as Spice m?lange, were added to the melted cheese. By swirling an old hard rye bread into the creamy mixture of cheese and spices, several foods that might not have tasted good were given new life.

Local pork bratwursts were usually added to the fondue to give it some variety, but when the meat was scarce, it was not included in the dish. Since few villages remain isolated these days, most Thuvian Fondues include the sausages. However, non-meat eaters should request a Vegetarian Thuvian Fondue if they do not want the sausage to be included in their meal.

Traditions

It is customary for people eating the fondue with others to not allow their lips or tongue to touch the dipping forks, but instead to pull the bread or sausage off the fork. This was done to prevent the spread of colds since the forks would be redipped back into the shared kasetopf.

If a piece of bread or sausage slips off the fork, it is tradition for the person who lost their next bite to purchase another round of drinks for everybody sharing the fondue. At some restaurants, customers can request a variant fondue called Thuvian Prosit Fondue, where the forks are buttered to make it far easier for the bread and sausage to slide off the fork.

Ingredients

1 dl of a local white wine / person
200 g of Brig cheese / person
hardened diced dark or light rye bread
thin slices of cooked bratwurst

[Eisophca]

Nation: Ceorana
Home Region: International Democratic Union
Category: Best IDU Cheese

Kolatch Gouda

Kolatch Gouda is generally known as the oldest cheese in Ceorana. To survive the winters near what is now Tzatzing, the Kolatch tribe made this cheese and put it in storehouses made of cold rock to last the winter, along with smoked salmon. These stores could last for a couple of years. Most Kolatchites were fond of sharper cheese, as do most Ceoranans today, so an effort was made to eat the newest cheese in the storehouse first, to allow delicacies to develop in the back of the storehouse.

Today, Kolatch Gouda is manufactured both by the Kolatch tribe and mass-producers (the biggest mass-producer is Variety Cheeses, LLC., owned by Cameron Groeon), although the Kolatch tribe is almost universally accepted to make the better variety. Although it can be eaten while young, this is generally seen to be only for lower classes, and middle and upper class Ceoranans almost always eat Kolatch Gouda that has been aged for at least 18 months, preferably over 2 years.

There are several myths and superstitions surrounding Kolatch Gouda. Here are just a few:

• If a person eats Kolatch Gouda with a fork, instead of using bare hands, they must run for the Senate in the next election. Although this is widely cited, it has only been followed in the case of Benjamin Qiro, current Senator and Secretary of State.
  
  
• Those who spell Kolatch without a "t" must not eat the cheese in the next week to avoid rousing tribal spirits.
  
  
• A woman who kisses her husband must not eat any other type of cheese in the next day, lets she get divorced in the next week.
  
  

[Mikitivity]

FYI: I added my entry to NSWiki, and think your's would be an excellent addition as well!

[Baranxtu]

Nation: Baranxtu
Home Region: IDU
Entry Category: Best IDU Cheese

Aimitsy
Baranxtuan Hard Cheese

Aimitsy is a both culturally and economocally important cheese of Baranxtu and is an adaption of the cheese with the longest tradition in Baranxtu, the barratsy, a type of hard goat cheese. Since its development in the 14th and 15th century CE, it has surpassed its predecessor in popularity, although the barratsy is still of high religious importance.

Production and Regulation

The whole process of aimitsebuna (production of aimitsy) is still relatively traditional, and only farms that adhere to a traditional way are allowed by the government to sell their cheese under the name "aimitsy".
One condition is that the cows are allowed to roam freely in the pastures and that they may only be put into a stable during cold or unusually hot months.
Both the milk and the grazing areas are frequently tested for harmful substances to ensure the high quality the name aimitsy promises.

After milking, the milk is already spiced with a variety of seasonings; the exact mix of spices that are used is often a tightly guarded secret of the producer.
Basic ingredients, however, are tnani, ma?irahta, parsley, chives and horse radish.

Flavour and Use

The aimitsy is probably the most tangy of all Baranxtuan cheeses, and can best be described as a cheese with a hot, herbal taste.
A number of attempts to market less spicy variations have been made, but all have failed miserably - these attempts of the 1960s and 1970s actually led to an additional government regulation that simple cheese that undergoes the same process of maturing, etc. but has not spices added to it has to be marketed as simple ?(th)ur aimbastutu ("cow milk's cheese") - previously, aimitsy could be legally used to describe any cheese made from cow milk.

Foreigners often need some time to adjust to the aimitsy, which is ubiquitous in traditional Baranxtuan cuisine. It can be found as a covering for bread and rolls as well as in ground form for various kinds of pasta dishes.

Importance

Economical
Of the overall yearly cheese production of Baranxtu, aimitsebuna takes about ten percent, making it the most important domestically produced cheese.

Religious
The durable aimitsy is also used extensively in the yearly sacrifices for the harvest and the Birth of the New Year. It is also still used in some traditional wedding ceremonies and baptisms, although this position is still largely held by the barratsy.

[Baranxtu]

(Entered on behalf of Otea for reasons that should be ovious )

Nation: Otea
Home Region: IDU
Entry Category: Best IDU Cheese

Moksaitabunauha Ipantli (Oteake)
Ripened fig ch?vre cheese (from Otea)

The Moksaitabunauha Ipantli, commonly known as Saita Ipantli or (Otean) Fig Cheese is a traditional cheese from the hilly island of Otea, which is also known as Qiruan Isle or Hadu Qirala, which has recently acquired quite some renown among cheese connoisseurs.

Name
The tongue-twister name is typical for the Qi language. Its pronunciation in X-SAMPA is [mo."saIj.ta.bU.naU.ha i."pAn.l@].

The name just describes the qualities of the cheese: It is a cheese (saita), or more exactly, ch?vre cheese (moka - goat), that has matured for a long time (bunauha) and has been flavored with figs (ipanta).

History
Cheese making has long been known to those Maran tribes that practise farming as a way to make milk more durable during the seasons not suitable for agriculture. This practice became especially well-developed in mountains and on islands, where the climate could sometimes prove especially hostile for the crops. At least three times during the know Maran history, stored cheese became the staple food of the people due to crop destruction.

The Qiri people on Otea, an island where domesticated cattle could only be bred on a small scale as opposed to goats and sheep, became a major exporter of cheese during the 5th century CE.

Figs were first used as a condiment in cheese around 950 CE, probably as a result of simple experimentation. The Saita Ipantli quickly became one of the major exports of Otea, and it remains so to this day.

Flavor
The Saita Ipantli combines the strong taste of hard ch?vre cheese with the sweetness of ripe, dried figs, making for an interesting and favored flavor.

Variations such as Sweetened Saita Ipantli (Moksaitabunauha me akiba Ipantli) and Salty Saita Ipantli (Moksaitabunauha me ratsa Ipantli) also exist, but these usually have only small, but loyal following.

[Mikitivity]

Wow, we have some impressive entries. And I invited Yelda, who's cheese is imported to Mikitivity, to enter as well. They've written an entry, I just have to give them a link.

:lol:

[Yeldan Dairy Commission]

Nation: Yelda
Home Region: The Pleiades
Entry Category: Best Imported Cheese to IDU

Nation(s) Imported to: Mikitivity

Brōcc, a type of white brine cheese, similar to feta cheese. This is a very popular Yeldan cheese, usually made with a combination of sheep and cow milk. It is commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. Brōcc has a fresh lemony taste. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads and in baking.

Par?gel, an interior-ripened cheese that is rindless, smooth and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow colour depending on type. It has very small and irregular openings distributed in the mass. The texture can be supple and flexible. Par?gel has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the stronger varieties. It is typically aged about three months, though when the cheese is older it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut.

Vyllned, a very mild tasting cheese, slightly salty or nutty with almost no smell when compared to other cheeses. Mild Vyllned is good with fruit like peaches, melons, apricots and cherries. Aged Vyllned is good with traditional "cheese fruits" like pears and apples.

?nndūlan, generally regarded as one of the finest cheeses for cooking, having a distinctive but not overpowering flavor. It is also a fine eating cheese, a main component of some cheese fondues.

?shkm?nnin, a traditional blue cheese made in Bigi?k, from skimmed cows' milk. It is a hard, crumbly cheese with a pungent aroma and sour flavor.

?thpollel, a mild Swiss-like cheese that has large irregular holes. It comes from the Bigi?k area and has a yellow-wax rind and a semifirm yellow interior. The texture is buttery rich and the flavor is mild and slightly sweet. It's an all-purpose cheese that's good both for cooking and for eating as a snack.

Kl?llen?ot?n, a traditional cheese made from the milk of tamed Kl?llens. Pungent, soft and very strong-smelling, it is sometimes flavored with herbs. Kl?llen?ot?n has a pale yellow interior with a glossy reddish-brown coating created by the bacteria that grow during its 3-month aging. It is usually shaped into a brick when sold. The taste and flavor of the cheese depends on the period of ripening. When young, the interior is sweet, with age the flavor becomes spicy. Because it's so strong, Kl?llen?ot?n is best eaten with dark breads and beers.

Are multiple entries acceptable? If not, I would probably narrow it down to ?thpollel or Par?gel.

Here is the wiki article: http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Yeldan_cuisine

[Mikitivity]

:worship:
For the contest, one entry for the Cheese and one for the Cheese related product. Though I can assure you that *all* of those cheeses are in fact imported to and enjoyed in Mikitivity ... however, how much of those shipments get lost on the way I don't know. I can talk to Sober Thought, since it would make since that the cheese would actually find its way there before being loaded by rail for transportation to Miervatia City. Mikitivity Bahn has some extensive freight lines that basically run up and down the Risden River, taking whatever Sober Thought allows into the mountains.

BTW that is an awesome entry!

[Yeldan Dairy Commission]

Mik For the contest, one entry for the Cheese and one for the Cheese related product. [/quote]
Understood. Our official entry will be Par?gel then . I'll submit an amended entry form with a more detailed description tonight/tomorrow.
Mik Though I can assure you that *all* of those cheeses are in fact imported to and enjoyed in Mikitivity ... however, how much of those shipments get lost on the way I don't know. I can talk to Sober Thought, since it would make since that the cheese would actually find its way there before being loaded by rail for transportation to Miervatia City. Mikitivity Bahn has some extensive freight lines that basically run up and down the Risden River, taking whatever Sober Thought allows into the mountains.[/quote]
Almost all of the importing/exporting for our region is handled by international trading conglomerates in the nations of Generic Nation Product and Libertarian Chaos. Only the finest cheeses are exported directly from Yelda and they carry the "Fine Yeldan Cheeses?" label. Regular cheeses (which are really quite good, but more "supermarket" quality) are shipped by one of the trading conglomerates and are simply labeled "Product of The People's Democratic Republic of Yelda". Since they are produced in Yelda, but actually packaged and shipped from elsewhere, I don't imagine they qualify for this competition.

[Mikitivity]

No rush! Though I think the import / export history you just outlined should also be considered (read: included).

[Groot Gouda]

Nation: The Glorious People's Republic of Groot Gouda
Home Region: IDU
Entry Category: Best IDU Cheese

Entry: Real Gouda Cheese ™

The Gouda city region has been a cheese-producing region from very early times. With the growth of the city and other important cities in the early Groot Gouda empire, the demand for cow-related products such as meat, leather and dairy increased greatly. So did the variety in cheeses. In Groot Gouda, the name "Gouda" for cheese and cheese-related products is reserved for the cheeses made in Gouda City's surrounding provinces (North and South Illians, Eastmeadow to the east and Shortfields and Gowlands to the west), and stringent checks on the typical procedure are made to ensure that it is real Gouda Cheese. The distinc flavour is said to come from the minerals in the clay from the rivers Gow and Ysle which run through the area. It's not a surprise that these rivers, despite their importance for traffic and transport, are monitored by the Groot Gouda Environmental Department more than the other rivers.

Oddly, Gouda cheese was never actually made in Gouda City. It was and still is the major marketplace for them, and that's why the name Gouda Cheese has stuck. A difference is sometimes made between the Gowlands cheese and the Eastmeadow varieties.

Real Gouda Cheese has a distinct arome that takes you back hundres of years, to the flavours of old rural Gouda. Gouda Cheeses are rich in fat (especially the Eastmeadow varieties) giving it a rich creamy flavour.

The two main varieties:

Eastmeadow Gouda Cheese: eat this one young. It will nearly melt on the tip of your tongue, and spread its delicious rich flavour snoothly through your mouth. Eastmeadow varieties have a high fat percentage and are slightly salty, caused by the local soil. Eastmeadow is the province with the most cheese-producing farms in Groot Gouda and in spring, the Grass Cheese Festival (celebration of the first fresh cheeses in the season) is the major happening in the region.

Old Gower: this cheese has lived a life, and you'll know it. It has seen things, been at places, and lived a life of happiness. The saying goes that an Old Gower is like an excellent wine: best left for a few years before it's really good. Because of the fat content, it will remain creamy even if it's al older cheese. Ideal for the traditional way to eat Gouda Cheese, in slices. It has spicy undertones but isn't as salt as an Eastmeadow Gouda.

[Groot Gouda]

CeoranaJan 15 2006, 01:58 AM Kolatch Gouda [/quote]
Obviously, that cheese isn't available under that name in my nation

OOC: and that's mainly because of my bad experience with foreign Gouda in Australia. I mean, Gouda cheese from *New Zealand*?? Blasphemy! Proper Gouda is made somewhere I can get on my bicycle within 45 minutes. *muttermumblegrumble*

Attachments:

• thumb_kaasmarkt_2.jpg (5.5 KB)
  

[Eisophca]

Groot GoudaJan 19 2006, 01:46 PM Obviously, that cheese isn't available under that name in my nation [/quote]
Kolatch Gouda is available in Groot Gouda as "Kolatch Ost".

[Mikitivity]

Somehow looking at all the competition, I'm worried about how Mikitivity's Brig Cheese is going to hold up. Though I'd like to add that "Cheese Related Products" isn't just dishes made from cheese, but could be tools used in the production or consumption of cheese. *All* nations are allowed to enter this category in addition to the "Best Cheese" or "Best Imported Cheese" categories.

[Yeldan Dairy Commission]

Nation: Yelda
Home Region: The Pleiades
Entry Category: Best Imported Cheese to IDU

Nation(s) Imported to: Mikitivity

Par?gel
An interior-ripened cheese that is rindless, smooth and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow colour depending on type. It has very small and irregular openings distributed in the mass. The texture can be supple and flexible. Par?gel has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the stronger varieties. It is typically aged about three months, though when the cheese is older it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut. The samples we have provided for this competition are of the older, stronger variety.

History
One of the oldest continuously produced Yeldan cheeses, Par?gel has been made in its namesake village for at least 700 years. Although its area of manufacture has extended since then, it is still only made in a tightly controlled area within 50 km. of Par?gel.

Exports
Almost all of the importing/exporting for the Pleiades Region is handled by international trading conglomerates in the nations of Generic Nation Product, Libertarian Chaos and Fort Smith. This includes cheeses. Only the very finest cheeses are exported directly from Yelda and they carry the "Fine Yeldan Cheeses?" label. Regular cheeses (which are really quite good, actually, but more of a "supermarket" quality) are shipped by one of the trading conglomerates and are simply labeled "Yeldan Cheese. Product of The People's Democratic Republic of Yelda". The samples of Par?gel cheese you see before you were hand crafted by Cheese Masters in the village of Par?gel and proudly wear the label, Fine Yeldan Cheeses?.

In addition to this, our official entry, we invite you to sample all of our Fine Yeldan Cheeses? which will be available throughout the duration of the festival.

*edit: Added Fort Smith to the list of exporters. They're 1st in the region and 839th in the world for Largest Cheese Export Sector. Who knew? I don't think they were anywhere near that high last time.*

[Mikitivity]

I once asked a moderator (it might have been Cog) about Cheese Exports in the game itself, and he indicated that they were pretty random. I'm not really sure if any of the daily issues impact our Cheese Exports.

[Eisophca]

MikitivityJan 29 2006, 06:12 PM I once asked a moderator (it might have been Cog) about Cheese Exports in the game itself, and he indicated that they were pretty random. I'm not really sure if any of the daily issues impact our Cheese Exports. [/quote]
I just got an issue about throwing cheese at politicians. The options were to ban cheese, ban cheese throwing, or have cheese become an icon of political dissent. I think that probably would have affected it.

[Mikitivity]

CeoranaJan 29 2006, 11:43 AM MikitivityJan 29 2006, 06:12 PM I once asked a moderator (it might have been Cog) about Cheese Exports in the game itself, and he indicated that they were pretty random.  I'm not really sure if any of the daily issues impact our Cheese Exports. [/quote]
I just got an issue about throwing cheese at politicians. The options were to ban cheese, ban cheese throwing, or have cheese become an icon of political dissent. I think that probably would have affected it. [/quote]
I've gotten it as well, and I've always allowed cheese throwing ... and yet that doesn't seem to increase my cheese exports. It is possible that the issue is a red hering.

[Yeldan Dairy Commission]

MikitivityJan 29 2006, 06:54 PMCeoranaJan 29 2006, 11:43 AM MikitivityJan 29 2006, 06:12 PM I once asked a moderator (it might have been Cog) about Cheese Exports in the game itself, and he indicated that they were pretty random.  I'm not really sure if any of the daily issues impact our Cheese Exports. [/quote]
I just got an issue about throwing cheese at politicians. The options were to ban cheese, ban cheese throwing, or have cheese become an icon of political dissent. I think that probably would have affected it. [/quote]
I've gotten it as well, and I've always allowed cheese throwing ... and yet that doesn't seem to increase my cheese exports. It is possible that the issue is a red hering. [/quote]
As far as I can tell, that one has no effect on cheese exports. By the way, how was this number arrived at: Cheeses Exported: 72 ?

[Mikitivity]

Yeldan Dairy CommissionJan 29 2006, 06:36 PM
As far as I can tell, that one has no effect on cheese exports. By the way, how was this number arrived at: Cheeses Exported: 72 ? [/quote]
:lol:
It is simply a factor of the number of times you've posted! The idea was something we took from the Texas Region, which made "Texas Dollars". At one point we had the index for tourists, but Groot Gouda figured to change it to cheese.

[Mikitivity]

The deadline for entries to the First Annual IDU Cheese Festival is Sunday Feb. 12, 2006 (2nd Full Moon of the Lunar Calendar)

Thus far the following entries have been submitted.

Category: Best IDU Cheese
- Baranxtua Hard Cheese (Baranxtu)
- Gouda Cheese (Groot Gouda)
- Kolatch Gouda (Ceorana)
- Moksaitabunauha Ipantli (Otea)

Category: Best Imported Cheese to the IDU
- Par?gel (Yelda)

Category: Best Cheese Related Product
- Thuvian Fondue (Mikitivity)

IDU members and IDU importers may also enter the ?Best Cheese Related Product? (hint hint). Tomorrow night, I?ll try and encourage some other entries from the IDU and other regions, but please invite others to enter as well!