Photo Credit @tillamook on Instagram.

Well hello there, cheese friends! If you’re like us, you have been shamelessly celebrating the official start to summer with glass upon glass of chilled rosé, a melting wheel of triple-cream brie, and some fresh strawberries too. Keep on riding that sunshine high as you sip your cold brew and catch up on this past week’s cheesy news bites.

Here’s what you might have missed this week:

• This might sound bananas, but apparently eating cheese and crackers can help keep off the pounds.
   
• Turning cheese byproduct into booze could save the environment and struggling dairies in one fell swoop. That’s whey cool.
   
• These cheese grater pro-tips are sure to shred all preconceived notions of what this seemingly mundane kitchen implement is capable of.
   
• A new study shows that according to our brains, mac and cheese is the perfect food. Yeah, I definitely already knew that, but it’s good to have some science to back it up.
   
• Every cheese lover dreams of spooning into a wheel of brie on the banks of the Seine. But what about nibbling halloumi in Beirut or dazedly meandering among cheese stalls in Brazil? National Geographic has ALL the best destinations for cheese lovers.
   
• The definition of what constitutes Camembert de Normandie has been compromised and the OG producers are pretty salty about it.
   
• France’s World Cup football team eats 3 pounds of cheese every day. It doesn’t get much more French than that.
   
• As an Oregon native, I am proud to announce the opening of the new Tillamook Cheese Factory, said to be more popular than the Space Needle! I’ve never been more proud of my home state.
   
• Jamie Oliver and Antoni Porowski go head-to-head in a grilled cheese-off. They’re both winners in my (queer) eyes.
   
• This lucky lady won a year’s supply of cheese for the most fabulous cheese board ever. This is what dreams are made of, people.
   
• Spread out, melt into that La-Z-Boy, and listen to this 49-minute conversation about Maine-made cheese. It’s a good’un.
   
• Our digital editor Erika Kubick judged the Grilled Cheese Recipe Showdown. Check out our Instagram for a peek behind the scenes!

Sam Jones

Sam Jones is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Agriculture, Food, and Environment at Tufts University. She has worked on organic vegetable farms in France, Scotland, and Washington as well as on a chicken and pig farm in Colorado. She is passionate about telling farmers' stories and exploring the varied agricultural methods that go into making delicious cheese around the world.