The American Cheese Society conference has been an annual highlight for me for the past 25 years. I get to learn, connect with colleagues and eat cheese until I cry “uncle.” Held in steamy Louisville earlier this month, the three-day meeting brought together makers, mongers, suppliers, distributors, shop owners and groupies like me. My favorite event is the walk-around Meet the Cheesemaker tasting, when dozens of creameries from around the country showcase their wares. When a cheese stands out for me in that cacophony, I know I’ll enjoy it even more in a calmer setting.
Read moreVermont Slays It
Again?? Yes, unbelievably, again. For the fifth time, a Jasper Hill Farm cheese was deemed Best of Show at the American Cheese Society’s annual judging. What’s more, the winning cheese is a two-time champion, finishing first in 2013 as well. This year, it prevailed over more than 1,600 entries, seducing the judges who elevated it over all the other category winners. “This particular batch was one of the best cheeses I’ve ever eaten in my life,” said the creamery owner after the awards ceremony in Louisville last week.
Read moreAmerica, You’re Rocking It
Photo: St. James Cheese Company
American Cheese Month is winding down but I hope your appetite is ramping up. You’re about to meet eight domestic cheeses deemed outstanding by the experts—two West Coast mongers who agreed to assemble a fantasy cheese plate for Planet Cheese readers. I requested “all American” and “not too obscure.” Even so, I don’t know a couple of these selections. So you may have to hunt for some of these cheeses, but at least you know you’ll be rewarded.
Read moreWhen Pros Make the Cheese Plate
American Cheese Month—that would be May—is your chance to show our nation’s cheesemakers how much you value what they do. Of course, our creameries need your business year-round but showcasing them this month reminds us how far we’ve come. Remember when American cheese was a laugh line? We now produce cheeses that compete (and win) on the world stage, and we can boast cheesemongers as knowledgeable and passionate as any in Europe
Read moreReality Check
View from the trenches: Jenny Eastwood
You never need an excuse to eat cheese, but May is a good time to show American-made cheeses some extra love. It’s American Cheese Month—that’s official—so I’ll be shining the spotlight for the next few weeks on some of our nation’s finest. To kick us off, I turned to Jenny Eastwood, who sells exclusively American cheese at Smallgoods Cheese Shop & Café, the business she operates in Jolla, CA, with her husband, Mike.
Read moreSenior-Citizen Cheddar
One of the biggest hits in my World Cheese Tour class last week was Deer Creek’s Imperial Buck, a four-year-old bandaged Cheddar from Wisconsin. It was so creamy, so mellow, so well balanced between savory and sweet. My experience with traditional bandaged Cheddars is that they rarely improve after 18 to 24 months. They start to dry out and lose their allure. How did this cheese manage to stay so moist and inviting for so long?
Read moreTop Cheesemaker Hits Pause
I hate bearing bad news, but Central Coast Creamery has ceased production. This acclaimed California enterprise, launched in 2007, pulled the plug late last year, selling its creamery and everything in it to a paneer manufacturer. If you loved Central Coast cheeses as much as I did, this development is beyond discouraging. So long to Dream Weaver, Holey Cow, Faultline, Seascape, Ewereka and Ewenique, not to mention the award-winning aged sheep cheeses from its sister brand, Shooting Star Creamery.
Read moreWhat's Next for Goat Cheese?
L to r: Erika McKenzie-Chapter of Pennyroyal Farm (CA); Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy (PA); Tamara Hicks of Tomales Farmstead Creamery (CA)
oats are having a moment—especially baby goats, the newest TikTok celebs. One TikTok account, @goatdaddys, has more than four million followers for its videos of kids (the goat kind) doing the goofy things that they do. But it hasn’t always been thus. In the 19th century, goats in America were despised and deplored. They roamed San Francisco and New York City eating people’s hedges and outraging the gentry.
Read moreExtreme Yum
A super-smelly Camembert (in a lidded box, no less) is the alpha male of my fridge right now. I close the door quickly but there’s no containing that scent. It’s for an upcoming tasting, where it will be divisive. The quieter little guy pictured above is better behaved but, if you ask me, just as enticing, with extra credit for being perfectly ripe. Just look at that texture. The aroma is impeccable, too—a subtle fragrance hinting at butter-cooked mushrooms and yeast. If you want a Camembert that comes out swinging, buy the other one. If you appreciate a more mannerly cheese that plays nice with wine, this one’s for you.
Read moreHappy Ending
With several independent cheese shops closing and with tariffs wreaking havoc, the cheese world hasn’t been a font of feel-good stories lately. But here’s one: Grafton Village Cheese, a 130-year-old Vermont producer in financial meltdown, has found a buyer. David is saving Goliath in this case…
Read more