Culture Magazine

50 culturecheesemag.com BES T CHEESES 2024 Reserve Boont Corners Pennyroyal Farm Booneville, California This 2023 GFA winner from Pennyroyal Farm starts with fresh, raw goat's milk collected in the summertime when goats graze on an abundance of grasses. Reserve Boont Corners is aged for eight to 12 months on planks of pine that help draw out moisture as it matures. The resulting aged tommes are slightly sweet, abundantly nutty, and have a hard, crumbly texture that's ideal for grating. RESERVE BOONT CORNERS PHOTO: Pennyroyal Farm Did you know, Pennsylvania has the second largest number of dairy farms in the nation at 5,000 farms and 470,000 cows? And that 99 percent of those farms are family-owned? Twenty of the 370 awards at the 2023 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition were awarded to Pennsylvania makers, and the Farm at Doe Run, a boutique farmstead creamery in Chester County, snagged the coveted 2023 Best of Show award for St. Malachi, a gouda/Alpine hybrid. The Pennsylvania Cheese Guild's site offers up a handy cheese trail map with a whopping 28 stops from Fredonia to Philly. The state is ideally situated to move cheese: It's in the center of the Atlantic Coast and less than a days' drive to more than 50 percent of the population in North America and Canada. Makers include Perrystead Dairy, an urban creamery in Philly helmed by Yoav Perry, which pumps out seven American originals, including fan-favorite the Real Philly Schmear; and Birchrun Hills Farm, owned by Ken and Sue Miller, who have been practicing regenerative agriculture for over three decades and making cheese for the past 17 years, with a strong lineup of award winners such as Birchrun Blue and Red Cat. Valley Milkhouse, an artisan creamery in scenic Oley Valley, produces handcrafted fresh and aged cheeses from Jersey cow's milk; and Calkins Creamery at Highland Farm, a multi-generational farmstead operation, boasts numerous awards for their cheeses, including brie-style Noblette and Italian-style Lida Gold. New Holland is home to Savencia Fromage and Dairy USA, which won four awards at the 2023 ACS Judging and Competition, including First in their categories for Dorothy's Holy Smoke and Alouette's Spinach and Artichoke cheese spread. Raspberry Ridge Creamery in Bangor began as a ewe farm focused on training working dogs and has been making sheep's milk cheeses and yogurt since 2017; and Misty Creek Goat Dairy has been handcrafting raw-milk European-style cheese on their farm since 2004. Keswick Creamery at Carrock Farm has been pasture-raising Jersey Cows since 1978 and cheesemaking since 2001, despite a devastating fire in December 2022 that put them out of commission for over half a year— the operation is back in business after receiving their milking permit this last June. Hidden Hills Dairy, a farmstead operation in Everett, also makes a variety of aged raw-milk cheeses from Jersey cows; and Conebella Farm Cheese is home to five generations of milkers and makers with a broad array of cheeses that range from cheddar and Colby to mozzarella and cheese curds. Caputo Brothers Creamery, another family- owned creamery operating since 2011 in Central Pennsylvania, is the country's only creamery making naturally fermented cheese curds for their award- winning mozzarella, a technique they brought back from extensive education and travels in Italy. And of course, we can't forget Goat Rodeo Farm and Dairy, a 130-acre family-owned farm just north of Pittsburgh with an impressive lineup of award-winning goat cheeses such as Hootenanny and Bamboozle, as well as rich and creamy goat's milk caramels. Retailers include Di Bruno Bros., a multi-location cheese shop and Philadelphia staple since 1939 with over 350 passionate cheese-loving employees. Tenaya Darlington (aka Madame Fromage: educator, cookbook author, and Cheese Journeys co-host) partnered with Di Bruno Bros. to create a comprehensive educational book called House of Cheese. Philly's also home to Talula's Table, the Grand Fromage, and Downtown Cheese, among others. West of Philly, there's Central Wedge Cheese Shop, which champions Pennsylvania cheesemakers, and even farther west there's Chantal's Cheese shop in Pittsburgh, which we recently covered in our Shop Talk column. We think it's safe to say the Keystone State is more than just Hershey's and hoagies, though adding cheese to both of those sounds like a solid idea. Region to Watch: Pennsylvania BY MALLORY SCYPHERS Marieke Gouda Aged Marieke Gouda Thorpe, Wisconsin Marieke Gouda is all about bringing a taste of the Netherlands to the US, and this award-winning aged gouda—with its nutty, caramel notes and slightly crystalized texture—is no exception. It starts with cow's milk from the Marieke farm in orpe, Wisconsin, that's aged between nine and 12 months on authentic Dutch pine planks. It took First Place in its category at the 2023 ACS.

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