The Cellars at Jasper Hill, Jasper Hill Farm’s cheese aging facilities, are not open to the public, but this blog post by Maarit Ostrow of Formaggio Kitchen gives all of us a little taste of what it’s like to explore the unique caves. The Cellars are divided into seven vaults, each filled with certain types of cheeses and temperature-controlled to foster those specific cheeses. Bloomy rinds, cheddars, and washed rinds all have their respective “bedrooms.” Ostrow’s co-worker Sarah likens The Cellars to the fictional bank Gringotts in the Harry Potter series. If that’s not enough to get you to read on, we don’t know what is. Find the full blog linked below.
Of course, smell is an important part of any cheese experience. In each vault I noticed distinct smells from both the cheese and its surrounding environment. In the cheddar vault, there was the smell of fresh wood shavings, earth, and something like a freshly cleaned stable – perhaps the smell of hay warmed in the sun. In the bloomy rind vault, I detected a scent I can only describe as caramelized banana. In the washed rind vault, we were confronted by all the funky and unctuous smells associated with these lovably pungent cheeses: yeasty, fruity, with a hint of barnyard.
Read more on Formaggio Kitchen’s blog
Photo by Maarit Ostrow
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
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