Ai Ming Syu is Bringing Artisan Cheeses to Singapore

“I’ve never been interested in tasting cheese just as a product,” says cheesemonger Ai Ming Syu. It’s not that she doesn’t appreciate a delicious bite, it’s just that she wants to understand the full story of where a cheese actually comes from. She explains, “Everybody assumes, ‘Oh, you must love cheese; you must love eating cheese,’ but for me, cheese is the end product of a long, long process that you have to get right first.”

Learning About Cheese

Syu’s journey to cheesemongering began in the early 2000s, when, lacking fulfillment in her corporate job and longing to work outside with her hands, she traveled from Singapore to Italy to work on a small, family-run farm. She enjoyed the work as much as she’d hoped. From tending to the animals to cleaning the stables, Syu found great satisfaction in learning how a cheese-producing farm operates, and she spent as much of her vacation time as possible working on farms in the years that followed.

“It wasn’t just about being able to learn how things work on farms and when milking happens and all of that,” Syu explains. “It’s a question of how you do those things respectfully—to the animal and to the whole environment. It’s about having a consciousness that, as a cheesemaker, you are one of many parts; working with all of these elements to make the end product. That was what fascinated me.”

The more Syu worked with small-scale farmers and independent cheese producers around Europe, the more people she met within the community who had stories to tell and cheeses to share. “The beautiful thing about farmers is that they’re so aware of the obligation they have to do right by nature, by animals, and by what they’ve been given,” says Syu. “I got to try more and more cheeses, and every time I just thought how crazy it is that I’m the only one having the opportunity to taste all of this.”

The Cheese Ark

Syu opened The Cheese Ark in 2013 as a way to introduce rare and old-fashioned cheeses to the people of Singapore. She says it was less of a business decision than a desire to share and preserve the magnificent results of conscientious farming. “When I opened, I really didn’t expect to sell any cheese—which sounds ridiculous as a business owner,” Syu laughs. “I think if I were a real entrepreneur, or if I were at all business-minded, I wouldn’t have gone ahead with the idea.”

By then, Syu had over a decade of experience working with mom-and-pop farms, tasting rare cheeses, and seeing first-hand how traditions are fading with time. Less and less people want to work on farms, and perhaps even fewer want to take over farms. And in many cases, it’s not so much that young people are reluctant to pursue manual labor—it’s that the cards are financially stacked against them.

“People don’t think about things like inheritance taxes, but it’s a reality,” says Syu. “There are so many macro factors working against the artisanal industry. Even 10 years ago I thought about how there’s so much nonsense food—to be able to eat something that is absolutely pure and unadulterated is such a privilege. It’s just pure, pure joy.” In an effort to better preserve this joy, The Cheese Ark features the only affinage room in Singapore, where Syu can ensure that the special cheeses she collects and sells are stored under optimal conditions. And, she can continue to age wheels of cheese long after they’ve left the shelves of European producers.

“I didn’t open The Cheese Ark because I wanted to have a shop, I just did it because I really, genuinely believed in good farming,” Syu explains. “I didn’t know of another way to make people aware of these cheeses. I couldn’t just stand on the street with an open wheel and hand out cheese—if I wanted people to take me seriously, I had to have a shop.”

While cheese isn’t as much of an everyday product in Southeast Asia as it is across Europe and the United States, Syu says that Singaporeans have been curious about her products and customers are generally willing to taste new things. “Thankfully, we all come equipped with a palate and the cheese is so good that, often enough, I don’t have to try very hard to convince anyone. They can taste the difference.”

Syu does admit that running a cheese shop “is not a paradise.” As with any specialty food product—comparable examples include wine and chocolate—there will always be consumers looking for a cheaper version. “There are people who have no choice but to economize, and I get that,” she says. “But if you look at food media, the big focus is often on the glory and glamor of restaurants and chefs. The important parts of food systems aren’t highlighted as much, and that doesn’t help.” So, Syu tries to educate where she can, telling the stories of the cheesemakers she visits regularly, and emphasizing the importance of environmental and animal welfare in creating such pleasurable cheese.

For all of her experience and access, though, Syu has a strict no-favorites policy. “The concept of a favorite doesn’t exist,” she says, citing the fact that she simply doesn’t need to choose. And because Syu ages the cheeses herself, she gets to follow their progress, often preferring one cheese today and another three days later. “I love evolution,” she enthuses. “I think if you’re working with cheese, with wine, with cured meats, the way that it changes is what you love—it’s not a particular profile that you love.”

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While you won’t find a menu of the cheeses she carries online, you will find some of them on her popular Instagram account @thecheeseark including recent picks, Buffalo milk Surfin’ Blu aged in beer, the blended cow and sheep milk cheese of Piedmont Ciabot, and Swedish Gardsost and the basil filled Tomme, and the basil filled Basilica.

An Annual Cheese Sabbatical

Syu typically closes The Cheese Ark between February and March to continue her cheese travels, visiting the farmers who have become her friends and seizing opportunities to make new acquaintances. The landscaping of farming and cheesemaking may be changing, but Syu’s passion for the craft isn’t going anywhere.

“If I can spend the rest of my life just eating produce from places like these, I’ll die happy.”