Artisan cheese facts for kids

Artisanal cheese is special cheese. It is made by hand. Skilled cheesemakers use old traditions. This makes the cheese taste more interesting. It also has many different kinds. Many artisanal cheeses are aged. This helps them get their unique taste and look. This is different from regular factory-made cheeses. Those often taste milder. They are also sold very quickly.

Part of making artisanal cheese is aging it. This helps its flavor and texture grow. One type is called farmstead cheese. It is made with milk from the cheesemaker's own animals. These can be cows, sheep, or goats. Artisanal cheese can use milk from many farms. But farmstead cheese must use milk from only one farm.

What is Artisanal Cheese?

People often talk about what "artisanal cheese" really means. The American Cheese Society helps define it. They say "artisan" means cheese made mostly by hand. It is made in small amounts. Cheesemakers pay close attention to old ways. They use very few machines. Artisanal cheese can be made from any type of milk. It can also have different flavors added. Even with some debate, cheesemakers love making these handmade products. Many people enjoy eating them.

How is Artisanal Cheese Made?

Making artisanal cheese can be a long process. It is a lot like modern chemistry. Many things can change the final cheese product. For example, the type of grass cows eat matters. Sudden changes in heat can affect it. Losing certain yeasts or changes in air pressure also play a role. These things affect artisanal cheese more than large factory-made cheeses.

Why is Artisanal Cheese Popular?

In the last ten years, artisanal cheese has grown a lot in America. More artisan creameries are now open for business. Today, there are about 450 different artisan cheesemakers in the United States. Three areas are leaders in this field. They are New England, Wisconsin, and California. This rise in popular cheese has also led to more dairy farms. At the same time, traditional cattle ranching has been decreasing.

Rules for Making Artisanal Cheese

In 2014, a question came up about aging cheese. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was asked if using wooden surfaces was okay. An FDA official said that using wood to age cheese did not follow good rules. This worried many cheesemakers and cheese lovers. They feared this rule would hurt local cheesemakers. It would also affect imported cheeses made the same way.

Many groups, like the American Cheese Society, spoke up. They wrote a letter against the FDA's idea. They said that safety standards are very important for cheesemaking. They also explained how this rule would affect handmade cheese. It would limit the many different cheeses available to people in the U.S.

Soon after, the FDA gave an update. They said they were not banning wooden surfaces. They also said no new law stopped using wood in cheesemaking. The FDA promised to talk with the artisanal cheesemaking community. They wanted to work together to solve the issue.