From Our Partners
Self-care isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Agela Abdullah (@cheesewench) reflects on burnout, boundaries, and reconnecting with what truly matters in 2025.
"When discussing self-care in the media, it’s often used interchangeably with “treating yourself,” which is not the same. I love to treat myself. I purchase boxes of cheese to be delivered to my door. I buy books from local bookstores and yarn from a local yarn shop. I pay extra for the guacamole. This is all surface-level. I need to take care of myself below the epidermis.
Self-care means strengthening communication with my community, even when I want to isolate myself. It means asking for help if I’m overwhelmed."
Read more at the link in bio.
Illustration by Iris Busjahn @ireecespieces
Do you know an amazing cheese professional who deserves recognition?
Nominate them to be on culture`s 2025 Hot List!
Each year, we spotlight trailblazing figures in the cheese industry on our coveted Hot List. We invite you to nominate an outstanding cheese industry professional—or yourself 😉—who embodies innovation, determination, craftsmanship, and community.
Find the submission form at our link in bio. Nominations are due by Feb 18th.
Today, we`re celebrating everything sheep`s milk cheeses have to offer. (Of which there is plenty.) 🎉
We`ve got:
🐑 Delicately earthy aromas, plus flavors of fresh cream and white button mushroom featured in @shooting_star_creamery`s Leo
🐑 Wheels that look like aged gouda, but taste like brown butter in @cypressgrovers`s Lamb Chopper
🐑 the Roquefort-inspired Little Boy Blue c/o @hookscheeseco
but that`s far from all.
Writer Alexandra Jones (@arockjonestown) recaps the best sheep`s milk cheeses of 2025 just for you at the link in bio.
Prairie Tomme 📷️: @jennsilverberg
The @specialtyfoodassociation Fancy Food Show is a foodie`s dream, packed wall-to-wall with culinary pros from around the globe and the latest snacks, meats, and, of course, cheeses.
Here are some top dairy trends we noticed at the show this year 👇
🪻 Fun flavors ranging from floral themes (@krislloydartisan) and savory profiles such as black garlic (@artikaasgouda).
♥️ Shapes such as hearts, stars, pumpkins and more. (@nettlemeadowfarm)
🧈 Artisanal butters are hotter than ever. (@marinfoodusa/@marinfood_official shared a delicious uni butter with the culture team.)
🫕 Fondue is back, baby! (@mifromausa)
Read about our best bites of the show at the link in bio.
#wefancy #fancyfoodshow
There are 10 goat`s milk cheeses that made our Best Cheeses list this year. 🐐
They span the globe from Malone, Wisconsin (@laclarecreamery), to Mumbai, India (@eleftheriacheese), showcasing goat milk`s range.
Whether you like your cheese crumbly, dense, silky, or smoked, you`re sure to find one that`ll please at the link in bio.
✍️: @chala.gram, @annemariepietersma
Buffalo milk cheeses are sometimes elusive, but rewarding, delicious, and beautiful. 🦬🪻
Two cheeses made from this extra-white, slightly sweet milk caught the attention of writers @madstrap and @annemariepietersma: @krislloydartisan`s petal-encrusted Flower Power and @calabrocheese`s Burrata di Bufala.
What makes these two cheeses stand out? Read at the link in bio. 🧀
Burrata 📷️: @jennsilverberg
@prairiefruitsfarm`s Little Bloom on the Prairie, @belgioiosocheese`s Gorgonzola with cow and sheep`s milk, and @murrayscheese`s Double Doe have one thing in common—they`re three of culture`s best mixed-milk cheeses this year. 🐄🐐🐑
From Illinois’s "answer to Camembert" to a "rich, meaty, and supremely snackable" washed-rind offering, find out which of writer @Chala.gram`s pictured picks whet your appetite.
Link in bio to browse and, in some cases, buy. 🛒
📸 for first photo: @alisanicholle
Sweet, spicy, and oh-so-creamy! This pasta recipe featuring @montchevre’s Mike’s Hot Honey Goat Cheese (made in collaboration with @mikeshothoney) is the ultimate cozy comfort food. 🍝✨ Roasted butternut squash, zesty gremolata, and a sauce that’s as smooth as it is bold—what more could you ask for?
Recipe link in bio!
#HotHoneyGoatCheese #Montchevre #MikesHotHoney #GoatCheeseLover #ComfortFood #SweetHeat #Swicy
Experience the taste of tradition with Grana Padano PDO cheese and Prosciutto di Parma PDO—two distinctly, deliciously European treasures. 🧀🥓
From Grana Padano`s nutty, savory flavor to Prosciutto di Parma`s perfectly cured richness, these PDO-certified products bring authenticity and quality to your table.
Want to try them for yourself? Stop by one of our partner retailers for in-store sampling and discover what makes these foods so special.
📍@beautifulrind (Chicago) 1/25 & 1/31
📍@picnic_wine (Chicago) 1/26, 2/2 & 2/9
📍@lafemmedufromage (Orlando) 1/24, 1/25 & 1/26
Go to our link in bio to learn more about this campaign!
We are heartbroken by the news that Rebecca "Boo" Simms (@boosimms) has passed away. Sarah (@lafemmeepicure), Boo`s twin sister and @ladyandlarder co-founder, shared the devastating news this week. "Boo was our magic maker, our color painter, and the brightest light I have ever known," said Sarah.
We are incredibly grateful to have had the chance to work with Boo and Lady & Larder over the years and will forever be inspired by her creativity, spirit, and passion. Boo and her sister created a colorful, vibrant, and groundbreaking space to champion American cheesemakers, both online and in real life.
Boo`s love of color can be seen in the windows of Lady & Larder`s shop and in the cheese board masterpieces she created—brimming with ripe fruit and fresh vegetables from the local Santa Monica farmers market. In a 2022 interview with culture, Boo said she loved color because of its ability to spread joy and make people smile—two things she did exceptionally well.
Our thoughts are with Sarah and her family as they navigate this unimaginable loss. You can find out how to support @ladyandlarder during this time by going to their Instagram.
Thank you @photobyjennajones for these photos that perfectly encapsulate the joy and color Boo radiated.
Swipe for 20 photos of gorgeous cheeses—just a third of the 60 award-winning cheeses featured in our annual Best Cheese issue.
Here’s how we compiled our 2025 list, courtesy of culture’s executive content director @malscy:
“Our annual Best Cheeses Issue is always a challenge to put together because, quite frankly, it’s a ton of work. The editorial team starts culling thousands of award-winners as early as August, and a massive, multi-tabbed spreadsheet highlighting cheeses that hit all the right notes is compiled. Once this exhaustive list is narrowed down to around 100 cheeses—based on criteria such as milk type, cheesemaker, region, and style—we select our final 60 based on feeling, or recalling our first bite, then we not-so-dramatically defend our choices (on Zoom calls as opposed to stages).”
We hope you enjoy browsing this list and learning more about the best-of-the-best cheeses from around the globe.
Tap the link in bio for the full list and to find cheese shops across North America stocking some of these winners.
And share YOUR favorite cheese(s) in the comments. 👇
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✍️ @pamelavachon_words @madstrap @arockjonestown @annemariepietersma @chala.gram
Our hearts are breaking for the city of Los Angeles and the state of California. As the wildfires continue to burn, many have stepped up to help feed displaced families, first responders, and firefighters.
We want to shine a light on their efforts, how you can help Angelenos during this difficult time, and where to find additional aid in L.A. if you need help right now.
🧡 Our friends at @ladyandlarder are making sandwiches for first responders and firefighters. Venmo @ladyandlarder with the subject "LA Strong" to contribute or donate via the shop`s @toasttab page.
🧡 @FiorelliPizza is feeding displaced families and first responders through their mobile operation. Donate via @Zellepay. Use the email "liz@firstgreenhospitality.com."
🧡 Text “DINNER” to 707070 to sponsor a meal from @ChezMia_melrose and @Olivetta.
🧡 Follow @wckitchen for donation info and updates on available free meals if you`re on the ground and hungry.
🧡 Donate funds to Emergency Network Los Angeles.
🧡 Visit the @PointReyesCheese Cheese Cares donation-matching initiative online page.
Links in bio. Please tag mutual aid orgs, resources below and share this post with friends and family in need.
#lastrong
January has got us feeling like 🥶🥶🥶
So we`re thawing with some help from Valdeón, a tangy blue cheese hailing from the Spanish mountains.
This week, spend date night in with recipes for an appetizer, a side, and a main course soup—each dish exploring the #delicious sweet and savory notes that Valdeón offers. Link in bio!
📷 & ✍️: @dbfoodphoto
🧀: @forevercheeseco
If you think you’ve spotted more sake than usual these last few years, you’re right. According to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association’s 2023 report, Japan exported just over 6.5 million liters of sake to the United States last year, the most exported to any country and a 145 percent increase since 2013.
Bottle shops and specialty bars dedicated to the so-called rice wine are proliferating, and a bevy of domestic sake breweries have carved out a niche alongside the craft beer movement. Plus, sake’s fermentation factor feels very of-the-moment. Even the cheese world has caught on.
Shake up happy hour—swipe for sake-cheese pairings from our friends at @milkfarmla and @rosellasushikpt.
✍️: Cathryn Haight
🌉 Snag your ticket to Counter Culture San Francisco! 🌉
Join us on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at CarreSel at @TheMidwaySF for a full day of cheese education, networking, and, of course, tasting.
Presenters include:
🧀 @gruyere_aop
🧀 @mifroma_official
🧀 @CowgirlCreamery
🧀 @cheeselandinc
🧀 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
🧀 @comte_usa
🧀 @isignyamerica
and more!
Anyone in the cheese or specialty food industry who is interested in learning more about cheese should attend this fun trade event.
🎟️ TICKETS on sale at the link in bio! 🎟️
@Wegmans` 1916. @Gourminoltd`s Hornbacher. @Fromagerie_la_station`s Raclette de Compton au Poivre. These are just three of 60 winning cheeses covered in our annual Best Cheeses issue.
Think about that: 60 winning cheeses delivered to your doorstep if you subscribe by Sunday, January 12. That`s one sweet (and savory) deal.
From goat`s milk #cheese to buffalo milk cheese and every cheese in between, this issue will immerse you in the top global flavors—one #delicious bite at a time.
Order at the link in bio and make your best #cheeseboard yet! 🏆️🧀
📸: @ninagallant_
👗: @madstrap
Move over, duct-taped banana—Chicago has a new viral art sensation: Cheese on Armitage. 🧀✨ This American cheese slice has been clinging to the window of an empty storefront for months, drawing admiration, existential musings, and even pilgrimages.
The mysterious `art` invites us to ponder the deep (or not-so-deep) meaning of… well, a slice of cheese stuck to glass.
At 3x3 inches and shrinking daily, this masterpiece is ephemeral, much like life itself.