Baby goats in the Picos de Europa mountains from the Queseria Maín Facebook page.
A video that Asturian cheesemakers from Queseria Maín posted on their Facebook page showing them digging through snow to reach their Cabrales cheeses aging in a high mountain cave has made its way around the internet. Asturias, where the World Cheese Awards was held in November, has a temperate climate at lower elevations and close to the coastline, while the mountains can get significant snowfall.
- Culture has partnered with Gourmet Dash to bring you four cheese collections matched to stories from our Entertaining Issue—so you can recreate the Cheese Plate, French Apéro, grilling cheese party, and more at home. You can also shop our dedicated page for individual cheeses featured in the issue, including the centerfold, Eligo from Vermont’s Jasper Hill Farms.
- A culture Style feature on fresh goat cheese from from January 2015 is referenced in this story on vinepair.com that explains the difference between feta and goat cheese. Great content stands the test of time!
- Emilia D’Albero cheesemonger at Brooklyn’s Greene Grape Provisions, CCP, and runner-up at this year’s Cheesemonger Invitational, was interviewed by InsideHook about her popular TikTok account, @punkrockparmigiano. Whether it’s breaking down a big wheel or sharing a day in the life of a New York cheesemonger, her videos are informative and fun to watch.
- You have two more days to take advantage of Whole Foods’ 12 Days of Cheese. The annual sale features Gin-Soaked Harbison from Jasper Hill Farm, Mt Tam from Cowgirl Creamery, and 10 more extraordinary cheeses from around the world for 30% off (prime members can save 40%) through Tuesday, Dec. 21. We’ll take one of each, please and thank you.
- Don’t eat the rind, and older is better—two of the 15 “fromage fictions” debunked by Claire Finney in this piece for The Irish Times. “The world of good cheese is already mired in misunderstandings that, at best, detract from its enjoyment and, at worst, result in its ruination,” writes Finney. We heartily agree, and think that this myth about soft cheeses should be added to the list, too.
- In plant-based cheese news: Treeline Cheese has rolled out “goat” cheeses made from Brazilian cashews, in original, garlic, and blueberry flavors, along with new flavors of plant-based slices and shreds. Future of Cheese debuted a plant-based brie to shops in Ontario, while on this side of the border, Violife has launched “Grill Me,” a halloumi-style cheese, and Daiya has reformulated its recipe; a blend of oats and chickpeas is now used for its plant-based blocks in four flavors.
Susan Axelrod
Susan Sherrill Axelrod is a former editor of Culture. Her love affair with cheese began at age 12, when she bicycled to a gourmet shop to taste an exotic newcomer—French brie. She lives with her partner in midcoast Maine, where she enjoys a well-made cocktail, hiking with their dog, Lucy, and spending as much time as possible on the water.
