Interview with A Mongolian Cheesemaker
To find out about Mongolia’s cheese scene, culture caught up with Tumurkhuyag Urtnasan, one of the country’s first artisan makers to craft European-style cheeses. Tumurkhuyag Urtnasan didn’t always make cheese. In 1992, right after the fall of communism in Mongolia, he was a vice governor in the Altanbulag district, a very sparsely populated region in […]
Ask the Monger: How Long Can Cheese Sit Out of the Fridge?
How long can cheese sit out of refrigeration? Awesome question! It’s one I get a lot at the counter, especially in the summertime. Unfortunately, there isn’t one simple answer: It all depends on the cheese. Generally speaking, those with a higher moisture content like fresh cheeses, soft cheeses, or anything especially squishy don’t do as […]
Ask the Monger: What Happens When You Store Cheese in Plastic Wrap?
What happens when you store cheese in plastic wrap? Good question! This is a hotly debated topic, and everyone has an opinion. I welcome the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the complexities of the answer.The effect that plastic wrap has on cheese varies depending on the type of cheese. The rind is the most […]
5 Tips for Buying Cheese at the Counter
Cheese counters can be awfully intimidating: All those foreign names, different styles, and stinky aromas are enough to overwhelm anybody. Not to worry: a good cheesemonger is like a fairy godparent. They just want to make all your cheese wishes come true! While a good monger knows their cheese, they don’t know you—and that makes […]
Ask the Monger: Why is My Homemade Mozzarella Squeaky?
Claudia Lucero of Urban Cheese Craft tells us how to ensure the stretchiest homemade mozzarella every time.
Ask the Monger: What’s the Difference Between Cheese and Yogurt?
They’re both cultured dairy products, but they’re not the same. Cheese scientist Pat Polowski schools us on the difference between cheese and yogurt.
Cheese IQ: Powered by Cheese
By turning whey into biogas, waste from cheese production is being used to fuel homes and businesses.
What Exactly is a “Sharp” Cheese?
People often talk about how “sharp” a cheese is. What is sharpness, exactly? “Sharp” is a colloquialism. Typically we don’t use it when judging or grading cheese, and it has no legal definition. You’ll hear it most often in the context of cheddar, where it’s sometimes synonymous with “aged.” For example, young cheddars are called […]
Have You Met Mimolette?
It’s aged with tiny mites and looks like a cantaloupe. What’s the story behind the famous Mimolette?
