Cheese
A recent explosion of artisanal and farmstead cheeses in the United States has broadened the palate for this age-old food. Use this guide to learn how to identify the different styles of cheese and serve cheese with confidence. Find out where to buy cheese, how to select cheese and how to store cheese to maximize its flavor. You’ll even learn how to make your own cheese, and be exposed to a lively community of cheese lovers online.
Expand All Guide SectionsCheese Basics
Did you know that the earliest form of cheese was created by accident? Look to this section for a history of the humble cheese and learn how it’s made. Find an introduction to the different types of cheese and learn how to identify them. You’ll be speaking the language of cheese in no time.
Insight for Cheese Basics
- As you begin your research on cheese, you’ll encounter some terms that may be unfamiliar. Look to Murray’s Cheese for a complete glossary of cheese terms.
- The very best way to learn about cheese is by being adventurous and sampling new cheeses. Use these sites to get an introduction to the wide variety of cheese that’s available, or check out “Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best” by Max McCalman and David Gibbons. Then head to the store—a multitude of cheese awaits you!
Top Sites for Cheese Basics
For a history of cheese ...
E-cookbooks.net
offers a brief history of cheese, relating that most consider the first cheese to have been made in the Middle East. Read about the evolution of cheese and don’t miss the glossary of cheese terms following the article.
LiveScience
, a site primarily featuring science and technology news, uses the story of Gruyere to illustrate “The Strange History of Cheese.” Learn how cheese initially came to be created and why, what exactly it is, and get a slightly technical account of how it’s made.
For how cheese is made …
Artisanal Premium Cheese
gets down to basics in “What is Cheese Anyway?” Learn what constitutes a true cheese and read a simple overview of the cheesemaking process.
The Exploratorium
hosts a webcast called “Moldy Science: Cheese” that originally aired in March 2003. Take a tour of Cowgirl Creamery, an artisanal cheesemaker in northern California, and watch as Cowgirl’s founder and cheesemaker make a batch of cheese and explain the process.
For the types of cheese …
The Cheese Web
gets the ball rolling with an introduction to “The 7 Types of Cheese,” explaining the importance of the rind. Though this U.K. site uses a tiny font and some unfortunate text colors, the information is succinct and reliable. Don’t miss the “Facts & Fallacies” page to learn about rennet, vegetarian cheeses and more.
Accent on cheese
, an online magazine devoted to cheese, provides extensive coverage of the cheese families or types. Choose a family to get a profile of the cheese including a brief description of how it’s made and it’s flavor. Use the dropdown menu near the bottom of the page to get acquainted with specific examples of that type of cheese.
For artisan and farmstead cheeses …
Cowgirl Creamery
, an artisanal cheesemaker in northern California, hosts a “Library of Cheese” that takes you on a virtual tour of cheeses from around the globe. Browse the alphabetized list or search by farm/cheesemaker, milk type, country of origin or milk treatment. Each entry has a description of the cheese and the dairy or cheesemaker, and in most cases, is accompanied by a photo of the cheese.
Cooking Up a Story
hosts short videos with a focus on the food and people who exemplify sustainable living. “Artisan Cheese on the Farm” goes inside The Little Goat Dairy by the River, an artisanal farmstead cheesemaker in Oregon. Find out what makes artisan and farmstead cheeses so distinctive.
For a sample of cheeses from around the world …
Cheese.com
, though littered with ads, hosts a database of more than 650 cheeses from around the world. Browse the cheeses by country or search using the links on the left. Each cheese is listed with a brief profile and details such as milk type, texture and in some cases, fat content.
Who knew?
Chemical and Engineering News
attempts to separate the curds from the whey (so to speak) in “What’s That Stuff?” an article that seeks to answer the age-old question, “What exactly is Cheez Whiz?”
Serving and Cooking With Cheese
Like other gourmet food obsessions, cheese has its own “best practices” for storing and ... read more »
Buying Cheese & Cheese Accessories Online
Grocery stores, specialty cheese shops and farmer’s markets generally offer a bounty of ... read more »
Making Cheese
Ready to jump on the artisanal, handcrafted cheese bandwagon and try making cheese at home? Use ... read more »
Cheese News and Cheese Reviews
Reading about cheese is almost as fun as eating it, and the Web provides ample opportunities to do ... read more »
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