In Queso You Missed It January 21st

The Culture team is out in San Francisco this week attending the Cheesemonger Invitational, aka the Olympics of cheese, and the Winter Fancy Food Show, the grandest specialty food and beverage showcase on the West Coast. We’ll be sharing our adventures over on our Instagram story, in case you’re curious to see what all the fuss is about. 

Here’s what you may have missed this week in cheese:

• Mexican cheesemakers are selling wheels under the name “Manchego” and the Spanish aren’t OK with it. But what are they going to do about it?
• We can’t say it enough: cheese is just as seasonal as strawberries or squash. Right now, it’s kidding season, which means it’s time for fresh goat cheese.
• A Los Vegas food truck is frying up egg rolls filled with mac n’ cheese. Sounds like a food hybrid gone too far, but we have to admit that they look kind of awesome.
• A 32-year-old man with autism has been creating sculptures out of Babybel cheese wax for the past 20 years. His work has attracted so many admirers that people are now sending their red wrappers to keep his supplies stocked.
• *The Food Network crafted cocktails for fans of every football team and their Cheese Head drink mixes the ultimate Wisconsin trifecta: cheese, brandy, and beer. One question: does it work?
• Apparently, the newest trend in wine is “slumming it,” so here are a couple bottles of vino to sip alongside your next bowl of macaroni and cheese. We’ll stick with a cold beer.
• A Welsh cheese company gifted Prince Henry and Meghan Markle a five-tier cake made of cheese wheels. We’re wondering what we have to do to get such royal treatment…
• Cheese tea has officially arrived in Los Angeles. If you haven’t heard yet, cheese tea is a cold tea topped with fluffy cream cheese – and it’s the hottest thing since the unicorn latte. Here’s where New Yorkers can score some, too.
• There are only two weeks until the Superbowl, so we’re sorting our snack ideas now. This tequila-lime flaming queso is definitely numero uno.

Keep it easy and stay cheesy!

Erika Kubick

Erika Kubick is culture's Social Media Editor. A monger-turned-preacher, she is devoted to turning on the next generation of cheese connoisseurs with seductive recipes, pairings, and enlightenment through her blog, Cheese Sex Death— a modern guide for cheese lovers.