The Oldways Cheese Coalition is happy to present the Spring 2017 edition of our quarterly CheeseMatters newsletter.
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A main objective of our mission here at the OCC is education. We strive to share the most up-to-date, peer-reviewed, and validated information about cheese. That includes sharing scientific advancements and new published research, engaging with cheese experts and researchers, and developing our own resources.
When it comes to cheese education, we rely on a couple of sources. First and foremost, scholarly research. We rely on our
Academic Advisory Committee
to alert us of new work. In our
Resources
pages you will find more information. A second source of knowledge is cheesemakers themselves. We try to engage with as many cheesemakers around the world as we can, and participate in forums where they have a chance to share their experience.
For this reason, we love the Counter Culture workshops organized by Culture Magazine. While these workshops are only available to cheesemongers, much of the information shared in these classes is then transmitted directly to the consumers when they interact with a cheesemonger in a store or deli. They recently had a workshop in Portland, Oregon around
Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day
and will have the next session on June 11 & 12 in Chicago. If you are a cheesemonger or work in food store you can sign up in their
website
.
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From Patagonia to the Rio Grande, cheese is an ingredient used in many Latin American dishes. Although most people may not think of cheese when they think of Latin American cuisine, it’s featured in soups, antojitos (Latin-American street food) and main dishes.
To expand your knowledge of cheeses made in Latin America we will be posting information on our blog and sharing information on research and efforts in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and elsewhere to safeguard cheesemaking practices. To read more, head to our
blog
and our
resources
pages where we have posted the article "
Artisanal Mexican cheeses" recently published by the
Journal of Dairy Science.
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We invite you to hear from the experts. On May 20th, 2017 we will join Crown Finish Caves and Slow Food USA in hosting:
Molds, Monasteries, and Microscopes
in Brooklyn, NY.
The history of cheese manufacturing is one in which animals, microorganisms, and environment interact to yield a finished product that is complex and desirable to the human palate. Please join us for a talk lead by Sister Noella Marcellino and Dr. Paul Kindstedt as we explore the ways in which cheesemakers from monastic times to current have understood and manipulated those interactions.
We will focus specifically on microbiology of cheese rinds and the emerging study of crystallography.
You can buy your tickets
online
.
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We are eating Mediterranean. Here at Oldways, we celebrate
International Med Diet Month
every May.
The Mediterranean Diet is a lifestyle approach to easy, healthy eating. It reflects a way of eating that is traditional in the countries that surround the Mediterranean, but you don’t need to travel any farther than to your local supermarket to discover its delicious flavors and fresh foods. Scientific evidence shows that it can help with weight loss, reduce risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, fight certain cancers and more. Embracing the Med Diet is all about making some simple but profound changes in the way you eat today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life.
To help you better understand our approach, we have created
resources
, including an
online quiz
to introduce you to new med foods, a tasting
calendar
, and we have partnered with Kroger
to help you sample some delicious Greek cheese. All this month, you will be able to taste
Real Greek Feta
in Kroger Supermarkets (check-out the Murray’s Cheese kiosks!) in Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, and Nashville.
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MilkJam in London
We are pleased to introduce you to a wonderful British project looking to “Foster understanding of English territorial cheese and milk.” To do so, we asked one of the founders to explain to us what is MilkJam is all about.
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Our projects focus on some aspect of milk or Territorial cheese. Through our workshops we investigate differences in milk: role of pastures, feed, and handling.
We want people to understand that for cheesemakers, milk matters – that how it’s produced and handled affects how it turns out as cheese. We also want them to understand that true milk is not a commodity, but a distinctive agricultural product."
To read the full story visit our
blog
.
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We are very grateful to our supporters, especially new members joining during this past
couple of months. Thank you so much for helping us be a strong voice for traditional
artisan cheeses.
Sincerely, Sara Baer-Sinnott, President Oldways
Carlos Yescas, Program Director Oldways Cheese Coalition
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