Behind the Rind: The Story & Science of Cheese

Ever wonder why there are so few sheep's milk cheeses in the U.S.? This episode dives deep into the history of sheep farming in America and how the lack of advanced dairy sheep genetics has forced many American sheep's milk cheesemakers to think artisanal. We're joined by cheesemakers David & Yesenia Major from Vermont Shepherd, one of the oldest sheep dairies in the country.

Necessity is the mother of invention and Switzerland’s extreme mountains have created one of the most well-known cheese styles, Swiss Cheese. But whether you call it Swiss or Alpine, there’s more to these cheeses than you think. Join us and Caroline Hostettler on the quest for REAL mountain cheese. We'll learn about transhumance and how people in Switzerland have found ingenious ways to survive in a harsh landscape by making some of the world's best cheese.

One type of rennet makes over 80% of cheese worldwide - and you may have never heard of it. We'll cover the 10,000 year history of rennet in under 25mins; from animal to mold to true vegetable rennet and the invention of Fermentation Produced Chymosin (FPC).

Whether it’s cow, goat, sheep, or buffalo’s milk, the chemical composition of cheese’s primary ingredient varies widely, and that affects the end flavor and texture of your cheese. Join us on a Milk Chemistry 101 adventure with Food Scientist Pat Polowsky and Cheesemaker Rebecca King as we explore the diverse and ever fluctuating landscape of milk.

Cheese made with raw milk has long been misunderstood; we’ll bring some serious science to what is often - an ugly yelling match. We’ll learn the history of raw milk cheese, how the FDA regulates it, and the recent culmination in 2014 when it seemed FDA might make it impossible for raw milk artisanal cheese to be produced. Lastly, we’ll talk terroir in farmstead, raw milk cheese with Cheesemaker Andy Hatch from Uplands Cheese and encourage you to get out there and eat some Raw Cheese!

The idea of Bacteria, yeast & mold often conjure up negative images. But we’ll take a close look at how these three main microbes interact and create flavor in some of your favorite cheeses. For more information and resources check out www.behindtherind.com

Cheese is confusing! We'll start our series with an introductory episode to get us all on the same page about common ways we categorize cheese from a scientific approach to a pragmatic approach; Cheesemaker Mateo Kehler and author & cheese expert Liz Thorpe give us their perspectives. Visit behindtherind.com for episode notes & to learn more about this month's topics!