The world of American artisan cheese is a vibrant landscape, rich with unique flavors and textures shaped by regional traditions and innovative cheesemakers. Far from merely replicating European styles, American artisans are crafting original cheeses that reflect their specific environments and creative approaches. For food enthusiasts, understanding these distinct regional offerings can unlock a deeper appreciation for the craft and inform more adventurous culinary pairings.
This guide profiles three notable American artisan cheeses, highlighting their origins, the types of milk used, key aspects of their production, and their characteristic qualities. By exploring these examples, we can better understand how the "taste of place" and traditional methods contribute to the unique character of American artisan cheeses, much like their European counterparts, but with a distinctly American twist.
Comparative Profile of Regional American Artisan Cheeses
To help you navigate the diverse world of American artisan cheeses, this table offers a quick comparison of their key attributes:
| Cheese Name | Origin/Maker | Milk Type | Key Production Aspect | Characteristic Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Malachi | The Farm at Doe Run, Pennsylvania | Cow's milk | Curd heated and washed with water, re-heated, brine added; aged in limestone caves. | Sweet, buttery, slight acidity, herbaceousness; firm washed rind, golden yellow paste. |
| Bonne Bouche | Vermont Creamery, Vermont | Goat's milk | Ash-ripened. | Creamy and tangy. |
| Cabot Clothbound Cheddar | The Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm, Vermont (from Cabot Creamery) | Cow's milk (inferred from cheddar type) | Bandaged and cave-aged by Jasper Hill Farm. | Aged cheddar with complex flavors developed through cave aging. |
St. Malachi: Pennsylvania's Alpine-Gouda Hybrid
From The Farm at Doe Run in Pennsylvania, St. Malachi stands out as an alpine-style cow's milk cheese that blends traditional European influences with a unique American expression. The farm, which practices rotational grazing with its Jersey cows, East Friesian sheep, and Saanen and Nubian dairy goats, crafts this cheese with a focus on reflecting the bounty of the seasons and stewardship of the land. St. Malachi is named after the original seven cows that initiated the farm's dairy operations.
The production process for St. Malachi involves heating and washing the curd with water, followed by re-heating and the addition of brine during the make process. This method results in a low-salt, low-lactose cheese designed for consumption at a relatively young age, typically around three months. The cheese is produced in the shape of a traditional Gouda, featuring a mottled brown and yellow rind and a firm to crumbly texture.
Aged in the farm's limestone caves, St. Malachi develops a sweet, buttery characteristic reminiscent of a young Gouda. This sweetness is balanced by a slight acidity and a lovely touch of herbaceousness, contributing to its complex flavor profile. The interior paste is a deep, golden yellow, and its firm washed rind adds to its distinctive appearance. The American Cheese Society recognized St. Malachi as the First Place Best of Show at its 2023 Judging & Competition, further cementing its status as a premier American artisan cheese.
Bonne Bouche: Vermont's Tangy Goat Cheese
Vermont Creamery, a pioneer in American artisan cheesemaking, offers Bonne Bouche, an ash-ripened goat cheese that embodies the tangy, creamy qualities often sought in fresh chèvre. This cheese is a testament to the versatility and distinct character that goat's milk brings to the artisan cheese landscape. Vermont Creamery has been instrumental in shaping the American artisan cheese movement, demonstrating how traditional methods can be adapted to create beloved local products.
The ash-ripening process is a key aspect of Bonne Bouche's production, contributing to its unique rind and the development of its characteristic flavors. This method, often seen in French chèvres, involves dusting the cheese with vegetable ash, which helps to neutralize the surface acidity and encourage the growth of specific molds, leading to a softer, more complex texture and flavor as it ages.
Bonne Bouche is celebrated for its creamy texture and tangy flavor, making it a versatile cheese for various culinary applications. Its bright, fresh notes are a hallmark of quality goat cheese, offering a delightful contrast to richer, more aged varieties. This cheese exemplifies how American cheesemakers are not only mastering classic styles but also infusing them with their own regional identity and craftsmanship.
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar: A Vermont Classic Reimagined
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar represents a significant evolution in American cheddar, challenging previous conceptions of what this classic cheese could be. This collaboration between Cabot Creamery and The Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont, showcases how combining established production with specialized aging can elevate a familiar cheese to new heights. While bandaged cheddars have a history in both the US and the UK, Jasper Hill Farm's involvement brought a distinct aging philosophy to Cabot's cheddar.
The unique character of Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is largely attributed to its aging process. Cabot Creamery approached Jasper Hill Farm, then a burgeoning startup, to bandage and cave-age wheels of their cheddar. This partnership proved transformative, as the cheese matured in Jasper Hill Farm's specialized cellars, developing complex flavors and textures that set it apart from typical block cheddars.
The result is an aged cheddar that offers a depth of flavor and a nuanced profile, a direct outcome of the careful bandaging and controlled cave environment. This cheese has become an iconic example of how American artisan cheesemakers are not just producing cheese, but also innovating within traditional frameworks to create products with a strong sense of place and exceptional quality.
Embracing the Diversity of American Artisan Cheese
The journey through American artisan cheeses reveals a landscape as diverse and rich as the country itself. From Pennsylvania's alpine-Gouda hybrid, St. Malachi, to Vermont's tangy Bonne Bouche goat cheese and the reimagined Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, each cheese tells a story of its origin, its maker, and the unique methods that define its character. These examples underscore the dedication of American cheesemakers to craft products that are both rooted in tradition and distinctly innovative.
To fully appreciate American artisan cheeses, explore varieties that highlight distinct regional characteristics and traditional production methods. Look for cheese labels that specify origin, maker, milk type, and unique production techniques, indicating a commitment to 'taste of place'. By seeking out these details, you can make informed choices and savor the rich tapestry of flavors that American artisan cheese has to offer.
Sources
- Planet Cheese – America’s Top Cheeses — Janet Fletcher
- American Icons - A Tour of the American Artisan Cheese Revolution in Six Cheeses — Saxelby Cheese
- Meet Our Cheeses — THE FARM AT DOE RUN
- St Malachi Cheese — culture: the word on cheese
- “St. Malachi,” an Alpine-Style Cheese from Pennsylvania, Named First Place Best of… — American Cheese Society
