Oser Communications Group

CHEESE KNOWLEDGE APPS 16 The Cheese Guide BY ROBIN MATHER That customer at your cheese counter with his nose glued to his phone may not be checking out Facebook while he waits to be served. He may be using one of these mobile device applications to help make his decisions. Cheese knowledge apps, available for both iOS and Android users, offer a wide range of functions, including broadening cheese knowledge, giving guidance in pairing wine and cheese, and helping consumers keep track of their favorites. They can also provide on-the-fly guidance for your app-savvy employees who might need a quick refresher on a cheese's merits. Familiarity with the most popular apps can also help your employees upsell or offer logical substitutions if you don't have the cheese your customer seeks in stock. Many customers may not know about these apps, so suggesting one or several can build relationships with your customers. In general, the iOS apps are more robust and have more information than the Android apps, but there's something for everyone on both platforms. Here's a round-up of some of the best apps we found for both iOS and Android. For iOS: Cheese ($1.99) offers information on nearly 400 common cheeses and special types of European cheeses, sortable by country or milk type. Brief descriptions describe the fat content, production method, taste, appearance and appropriate ripening time, with at least one picture of the cheese in question. Cheeses are rated from one to five stars, with highest ratings going to products that are unique in taste, quality or method of production. The Complete Cheese Directory ($1.99) contains information for more than 150 cheeses worldwide. Each description includes the name, a photo, pronunciation, country of origin, milk type, best wines for pairing and a detailed summary of the characteristics of the cheese and how it's made. Cheese Plate ($2.99) offers Planet Cheese blogger Janet Fletcher's ideas for 25 themed cheese plates for entertaining. Each entry offers three cheeses, with suggested alternatives, and complete information on each cheese, from its milk type to how it's made and where. As examples, Fletcher suggests a "Salute to Spain," with Manchego, Queso de la Peral and Leonora; "A Range of Rinds," featuring Red Hawk, Camembert and Comte; or "Famous for Centuries," featuring Roncal, Pont L'eveque and Coulommiers. Cheeselog ($0.99) lets your customers keep track of their cheese tastings to share with their friends. A little taste of something new today for a customer using Cheeselog can result in future sales. 400 Recipes for Cheese Lovers ($1.99) contains recipes for home cooks that feature cheese, sorted by category — appetizers, dips, snacks, main dish and so on — for easy reference. Each recipe includes a photo, an ingredient list, nutritional information and step-by-step cooking instructions. iFromage ($0.99) digs into wine and cheese pairings, with more than 900 wine varietals and cheeses to go with. If you sell both wine and cheese, customers using this app can do all their shopping in one stop at your location. Wisconsin Cheese Cupid (Free for both iOS and Android) is broader and more general than some of the previous apps, but it's free, and it's a great app for those who are just beginning to learn about pairing. Cheese Facts (Free) includes a game, with links to information in articles, videos and web sources. For Android: Venissimo Cheese (Free) describes cheeses from all over the world, searchable by name, country of origin or milk type. Wine and beer pairings are offered as well. Cheese Glossary ($3.95) is not only a complete guide to cheeses, but offers a dictionary of cheese-making terms. Need a little assistance to explain the difference between lactic and rennet- thickened cheeses? The dictionary in this app can help. Cheese Tasting Tracker ($1.15) lets customers track the cheeses they've tried, including name, producer, type, age, region and their own rating, together with room to add notes and comments of their own. Entries are sortable by user ratings. Cheese (Free) is an appendix of cheeses from around the globe, searchable by type of milk, name and country of origin. It offers descriptions of each cheese. H e l p C u s t o m e r s L e a r n A b o u t Y o u r P r o d u c t s

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