Books on Artisan American Cheese
Artisan cheese from America is a relatively new phenomenon. You can argue that it started in the 1970’s with the farmstead and “back-to-the-land” movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s. But it was in the 1980’s that it really began to take shape. As of 2018 there were nearly 1,000 artisan and specialty cheesemakers in the U.S., according to the American Cheese Society “State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry Survey.” It’s a category that is growing. Cheese was the top category of specialty food sales in 2015, at more than 4 billion dollars—a 15% increase from 2013, according to the Specialty Food Association. While much has changed in the industry since these three books were written, especially the sale of a number of artisanal cheese companies to multinational and European based companies, the books are still a great place to start learn about what is still a nascent industry.
It’s Not You, It’s Brie: Unwrapping America’s Unique Culture of Cheese by Kirstin Jackson provides a really great introduction to the different styles of cheeses made in America by artisan producers. Jackson, a writer, cook and cheese educator begins with a brief history of cheese in America, then proceeds into chapters on different styles of cheeses with 3 examples and a recipe that either uses or complements the cheeses.
Never geeky, the writing is very approachable and yet packed with information explaining the influences and stories that inspired cheeses and how they came to be. It’s a really good book for those just getting into artisanal American cheese. While readers may not find every cheese in the book, the cheeses profiled are all important ones to get to know and Jackson provides a list of favorite cheese shops at the end of the book as well as a list of reference books.
The Cheese Chronicles: The Journey Through the Making and Selling of Cheese in America from Field to Farm to Table by Liz Thorpe in 2009 is an insider’s look at the industry. Thorpe worked her way up from counter spending 10 years at New York’s Murray’s Cheese. The book profiles some of the most important cheesemakers in America, including legends like Ig Vella and the Kehler brothers of Jasper Hill. She delves into the sometimes troubling definitions of artisan cheese, the rise of goat’s milk, how cheesemakers won over American chefs and all along the way she highlights some of America’s greatest cheeses. This is a great book to take you on a virtual journey to meet the cheesemakers and learn about their cheeses. It’s engaging and wonderfully written and filled with very personal stories and anecdotes.
The Life of Cheese: Crafting Food and Value in America written by Heather Paxon an Associate Professor of Anthropology from MIT in 2013 takes a deep look at how the industry of artisan cheese has developed. Published by the University of California, it’s perhaps not surprisingly an academic book but still accessible. Paxson dives into the “ecologies of production” the “economies of sentiment” and the very art and science in the craft of cheesemaking.
The book takes readers on a journey to the dairies and creameries across the US and the stories behind iconic American cheeses such as dry jack. Paxson doesn’t shy away from what she calls the “microbiopolitics” which deals with food safety, pasteurization and how the FDA regulates production.