Yum Cha Chats: dOP cuts into the character and complexity of cheese

Sundays are hard but can be made easier with unexpected delights — so here’s some fluff to get you through it. Inspired by a recent jaunt for dim sum with Miss Yellow in Hong Kong, allow us to deliver a new edition of Yum Cha Chats — which means let’s go eat dim sum and drink tea in Cantonese. The series will dig into the obscure and tasty 'fillings' you never knew about your favourite DJs and have nothing to do with music — every Sunday. Best enjoyed from bed…

French duo dOP likens their live shows to a play that never ends. It shifts. It moves. It changes. It varies. But it just keeps going and causes anticipation whatever it does. Since 2007, dOP has realized these expectations of their fans around the world with more than 1,000 shows. From sweat-soaked saloons to establishments of prestige, their off-kilter house and techno sounds sprinkled with Parisian hip-hop energy radiate authenticity.

Jaw and Damien have been working together for 14 years. The one thing that always satisfied their partnership whenever they had any problems was cheese. Stinky cheese. Melted cheese. Cheese fit for kings and queens.

For this Yum Cha Chat, dOP digs deep into the cheeses that they love and also rates the stinkiness of each one.

Jaw: I have loved cheese forever and it is a key to joy in my life. Cheese is a bit like sex because she creates an excitement that no other food can give. Cheese is and will always be a part of my favorite dishes.

Damien: Cheese is a passion because it’s one meal with a lot of character and complexity. Cheese can be eaten just before the sweetness and sugar of dessert. Cheese goes further in terms of taste. It flirts with extremes and avoids neutrality or convenience. Cheese is politically incorrect because it provokes my senses and I can't imagine going through life without it.

Camembert was first created in Normandy, in northern France in the 18th century. It has a white bloomy rind with a soft and moist interior. It can be eaten young, middle-aged or very old. Our favorite way to eat it is in a sandwich with salty butter and a beer.

When winter is coming, we are anxiously awaiting the first moment when we are going to use the raclette machine. Everyone should know about raclette because this tradition puts the whole cheese party in a great mood. Raclette goes well with any drink in my opinion from Coca Cola to cider to red and white wine. Afterwards, you will definitely need a good cognac to digest the joy.

As the favorite cheese of many French kings, maroilles is legendary and everyone should taste it at least one time. We love to eat it with sweet bread and black pepper. Like most cheeses, it goes very well with red wine.

Époisses is a cheese that is washed in brandy and is so soft that is usually served with a spoon. Some say this is the king of all cheeses. It’s particularly addictive and hard not to finish to the last crumb.

This is one of the world’s best known blue cheeses and it’s also amazing to cook with for pies, quiches or meat sauces.I remember while living in Bamako, Mali, I was missing this cheese so much and finally one friend came to visit us and brought it. I was excited for my Africans friends to try it, and they thought we were crazy to eat such a dirty, stinky thing.