The Art of Cheese
What is Artisan Cheese? I write a blog about the subject,
yet I’ve never really defined the term.
Wikipedia defines it as such “Artisanal cheese refers to cheeses produced by hand using the traditional craftsmanship of skilled cheesemakers”.
This is both appropriate and misleading at the same time. It reflects the
simplicity of a practice that has been in place since before recorded history,
yet it lacks the depth necessary to understand just how complex the product of
a cheese maker’s labor truly is. Let me share some examples.
Rogue Creamery in Oregon uses fresh milk produced on their
personal dairy farm. These cows are graze fed grass for most of the year which,
by their estimation, produces the best milk for their cheeses, both rich in protein
and butterfat. After heating, the rennet is introduced to the milk in order to
begin the curdling process. Once the curds have begun to set, they are cut with
a cheese harp and separated from the whey. From these curds they can produce
amazing blue cheeses and bitingly delicious cheddars. All of these steps are
performed by hand to exacting detail by processes developed hundreds of years
ago and perfected to modern standards. For those that have not experienced it
yet, their Rogue River Blue is an absolute pleasure of a cheese. It is aged in
grape leaves that have been soaked in pear brandy, and the end product is by
far my favorite blue, by which all other blue cheeses must be measured. (My
opinion)
Another example involves a Mennonite family From Pennsylvania.
After moving to Southern Iowa in 1992, they started a dairy farm. Living In the
heart of old Amish country, it wasn’t a difficult stretch to imagine turning all
of that milk into something more. Thus was born the Milton Creamery. Hard work
and tradition was a way of life for this family. Simple living and dedication found
its way into the methods by which they prepare their cheeses. The Prairie
Breeze for instance, is an exceptional offering from the cheddar family. Both
sweet and sharp, and painstakingly prepared the way cheese makers have been
producing it for hundreds of years. They
even produce a Truckle, which is the Old English word for cylinder. It is a cloth-bound
cheddar made and aged to produce a crumbly marvel that literally tastes of old
world culture.
Most first crossing the line between plastic wrapped slices
and hand crafted art, quickly become daunted by the posted price tag for some
of these cheeses. The main thing to remember is that those prices are by the
pound! If someone were to spend an afternoon eating a pound of any cheese, they
had better keep some laxative handy, because their digestive system would
certainly go on lockdown in protest. When serving cheese to guests or enjoying
some yourself, the common recommendation is 2-4 ounces per person. That’s
ounces, not pounds. So, unless you plan on having a cheese tasting involving
the local high school football team and all of their friends, I suggest you
take a deep breath and use some practical sense.
Just remember that when you are buying an artisan cheese,
you are not just purchasing a product. You are also buying years of experience
and expertise, generations of tradition, and a dedication to perfection. If
this still doesn’t convince you, then you are more than welcome to purchase
some lactic imposter that is a byproduct of ingenuity, born out of the idea of
mass consumption, and hand crafted on an assembly line. All I can really hope is that you, the reader,
take from this at least enough curiosity to entertain the idea of stepping out
of the supermarket and into the art gallery. You won’t be disappointed.
CC