The best of Europe's cheeses on offer

Some of the best imported products are available in the food and beverage outlets in Shanghai's five-star hotels and for lovers of cheese there is a wide selection from some of the world's great producers.

Both the Sofitel Shanghai Hyland in the heart of downtown Shanghai and the newly opened Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park have European chefs with a keen eye for picking some great cheeses.

With extensive cheese offerings on their buffets and cheese promotions throughout the year, these hotels offer the chance to sample a range of cheeses from across Europe.

With its French flair for gastronomy, the Sofitel has one of the best cheese selections in town.

The Sofitel has a long-standing partnership with renowned French cheese maker and supplier Phillipe Olivier who offers a wide array of classic traditional French and European cheese varieties.

The Olivier family has been making cheeses since 1907 and this respected master in cheese-making was elected best cheese seller, winning the prestigious Rabelais Trophy in 1996 and again in 2005.

His collection of cheeses includes traditional cheese varieties that he has resurrected, including modern interpretations of the northern French "Bergues" and the Southern French "Bethmale" varieties.

Along with a wide array of these artisan cheeses at the daily buffet in the Sofitel's popular Mosaic Restaurant, the Sofitel will hold a monthlong cheese promotion this fall.

Usually held from October to late December, this year's promotion will include not only many French cheeses but also boutique offerings from Belgium and Germany, plus Spanish, Swiss and Italian cheeses.

Mosaic Restaurant is located on the second floor of the hotel and overlooks Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall.

It offers daily breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets as well as a la carte menus from 6am to midnight. Buffet lunch costs 188 yuan (US$27) net per person (daily, except for Sundays) and the buffet dinner costs 238 yuan plus a 15 percent service charge. The popular Sunday brunch with selected wines costs 308 yuan plus a 15 percent surcharge.

At the Marriott Changfeng Park, the hotel's executive chef Manfred Knoefle draws on his extensive experience in deciding on a range of cheeses to use both in the buffet and dishes served in the hotel.

At the bustling Park Cafe, visitors can enjoy such well-known varieties as Mozzarella, Provolone, Gorgonzola and Roquefort cheeses.

Knoefle has a keen eye for quality, saying that each of the iconic cheeses has particular characteristics that make them ideal for cooking in multiple recipes or enjoying by themselves.

For Mozzarella, Knoefle says he prefers to use a good-quality traditional variety made from buffalo's milk that can be used in salads, on pizzas or grilled.

The best varieties come "swimming" in whey and have what he describes as a "floppy" rather than rubbery consistency, with moisture trapped between the layers of springy curd.

Provolone cheese is another classic Italian cheese with roots going back to early Roman times. A popular table cheese that is also good for grilling, it is made from cow's milk and originates from the Lombardy region.

Lombardy can also lay claim to being the home of Gorgonzola. This traditional blue cheese is used in salads and as a table cheese but is also used in several classic sauces for gnocchi and pasta.

Finally, the Park Cafe offers French cheeses including Roquefort.

The mastery the French have developed for maturing this blue cheese dates back more than 2,000 years. Shepherds matured their cheeses in the deep limestone caves of Cambalou, which are famous for the blue molds that exist naturally in the air.

Guests at the Park Cafe can enjoy some of these classic European cheeses in an atmosphere of a classic French brasserie, with a modern spin.