Happy New Year! It’s 2020, and we’re looking for ways to up our cheese game in the new decade. If you missed our Cheese Goals piece from the Best Cheeses issue, click here to catch up and get inspired to (finally) keep up with a new year’s resolution.
In other cheese news:
- As the tariff war on EU goods rages on, we’ve created an easy-to-follow roundup of major news points, focusing on what this could all mean for the cheese industry. Click here to catch up.
- The highly sought-after 20-year cheddar from Hook’s Cheese Co. is back on the shelves after a five-year hiatus. An extremely rare wheel, the cheese is selling for $209 a pound, the same price it sold out at in 2015. And just like last time, half the proceeds will be donated to the Dairy Innovation Hub—so cheddar lovers can feel good about such an extravagant indulgence.
- Some good tariff news: the US-Japan Trade Agreement went into effect on the first day of the year, lowering tariffs for American products like cheese. This will level the playing field for American farmers, giving them equal access to the Japanese market as other countries have.
- The infamous “cheddar gate” case has been officially closed. Back in January 2019, French chef Marc Veyrat took Michelin to court after they demoted his Alpine restaurant from three to two stars, supposedly due to the fact that he had been using cheddar (gasp!) in his soufflé. Veyrat denied this claim, insisting his recipe used Reblochon and Beaufort. But last week, the court ruled that no damage was caused by the demotion, and Veyrat lost the case.
- Mac and cheese does more than comfort us on a cold winter night—it can sustain astronauts in space or soldiers fighting war, thanks to science. Washington State University scientists recently discovered a way to triple the shelf life of boxed mac and cheese, making it the perfect meal for space travelers on their way to Mars or US Army troops in the field. Their missions just got tastier.
- Australia’s tragic wildfires are impacting its people, land, animals—and dairies. Click here to learn more about the fires, impacted farms, and how you can help.
- UK-based chain Café Rouge is fulfilling a dream we didn’t even know we had: they’re opening a cheese-themed hotel in London. Unfortunately, only a lucky selected few will be able to stay in one of these cheesy suites. Apply here to be considered for a free stay—just make sure you’re brushed up on your Café Rouge Croque knowledge.
Monica Petrucci
Monica is Culture's former Social Media Editor. Coming from a formaggio-obsessed Italian family, she was very excited to combine her passions for cheese and writing at Culture. She loves experimenting in the kitchen and pairing wine and cheese in her spare time.
