In preparation for Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day coming up on October 19th, we wanted to delve a little deeper into the world of raw milk cheese to help you better understand it and hopefully inspire you to purchase a piece to celebrate the holiday!
If you have ever enjoyed a piece of authentic Swiss Gruyère in a sandwich, grated Parmigiano Reggiano over pasta, or Roquefort in a salad, you have eaten raw milk cheese. And while the concept of raw milk cheese might be unfamiliar to many right now, it is the way that cheese has been made for centuries, since cheesemaking predates the invention of pasteurization in the 1860s. But what exactly does the term mean, and why are dedicating an entire day to celebrating it?
"Raw" milk is milk that has not been pasteurized prior to being made into cheese - Eating raw milk cheese is not at all the same as drinking raw milk. Raw milk contains naturally-occurring microflora that is usually harmless if the milk is handled correctly and responsibly in a sanitary environment and made into cheese almost immediately. Pasteurization kills any existing potentially harmful pathogens within the milk, but it also kills any completely harmless, flavor-producing microorganisms. Bacteria is not always a dirty word, and in the case of raw milk cheese, the bacteria present are actual integral to the development of the cheese's individual flavor. The beneficial bacteria present in raw milk cheese also represent a natural defense against any "bad" bacteria, whereas a pasteurized milk cheese stripped of its natural defenses could present a friendlier environment for pathogens to grow. However, there is little to worry about as long as you are purchasing responsibly-made cheese from a reputable source with strict sanitation standards!
The microorganisms in raw milk are inherently connected to the concept of terroir, or how every aspect of an animal's environment affects the flavor of the cheese. The animal breed, the feed it eats, the water it drinks, all impacts the composition of the milk, which affects the flavor of the cheese. It's part of the reason why many classic European raw milk cheeses have PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status - the terroir of these cheeses is the base of their identities, and if they were made anywhere else under different conditions, the cheese simply would not taste the same.
In fact, many of your favorite cheeses that have become household names, must legally be made with raw milk in their authentic forms - think Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Gruyère, Comté, Brie de Meaux, Camembert de Normandie…have you ever noticed that the aged cheeses listed can probably be found in any cheese shop or specialty grocery store, but you've probably never seen a veritable Brie de Meaux or Camembert de Normandie on your store shelves? That's because the FDA here in the US has decided, to the dismay of the American cheese community, that all raw milk cheese produced in or imported into the US must be at least 60 days of age for food safety reasons. And while the author of this blog post is neither a doctor nor a scientist, it should be noted that the rest of the cheesemaking and cheese-consuming world does not look kindly upon this unique ruling.
But we should not only celebrate European raw milk cheeses - there are plenty of high-quality cheeses being made all over the world that deserve to be celebrated with just as much enthusiasm! For example, authentic Cotija from Mexico is traditionally a raw milk mountain cheese, instead of the vaguely milky stark white vacuum-sealed blocks so commonly found in the dairy section of the grocery store. Even the United States has a flourishing raw milk cheese culture (pun intended) - our country is home to rockstar cheesemakers like Uplands Cheese, Parish Hill Creamery, Shelburne Farms, Cato Corner Farm, Jasper Hill Farm, Meadow Creek Dairy, and many more who are churning out some of the finest raw milk cheese on the market that can go toe to toe with any European classics.
Raw milk cheeses contain centuries of cheesemaking history in every bite, with complex and nuanced flavor that simply cannot be replicated by any machine in any lab. If you have made the effort to seek out high-quality cheese at peak flavor, you certainly want to make sure that you preserve that flavor to the best of your ability! Formaticum cheese storage products are the best way to ensure that you taste every bite as the cheesemaker intended - our products allow you to protect your investment and simultaneously honor the work of every animal and person that helped create that cheese and get it to your plate.
And just as there is a cheese for every palate, there is a Formaticum product for every lifestyle:
Classic Cheese Storage Bags are perfect for cheese lovers of all experience levels, and make it easy to store any cheese in your fridge - simply place the cheese in the bag, fold the top over, and enjoy a piece whenever you want!
Reusable Cheese Storage Bags are our newest addition to the collection and are an ideal solution for anyone looking to reduce kitchen waste - they can be hand-washed, air-dried, and reused indefinitely for all styles of cheese.
Zero Cheese Storage Sheets are an eco-friendly option that can be composted right in your backyard!
Browse our full collection of cheese storage solutions on our site, and contact us with any questions or comments at hello@formaticum.com.
Vive le fromage!
