CHEESE NOTES

There’s cheese tastings…and then there’s the Festival of Cheese, at the American Cheese Society “Rally in Raleigh”, the annual cheese industry conference which draws cheese makers, mongers and enthusiasts from all over North America (US, Canada and Mexico) and is located in a different city every year (last year was Montreal).  This year the honor went to Raleigh, NC, and in addition to the cheeses, the conference served as a celebration of Southern cuisine and the local food scene.

1700+ cheeses were submitted to the competition, and after the winners were announced on Friday, Saturday saw the Festival, at which conference-goers and the general public get to actually taste all those cheeses.

The event was held in a large ballroom, with a dozen or so expansive buffets, organized by category (eg Soft-Ripened, Washed Rind, Farmstead, Blue, etc, including some more esoteric categories like “American-Made, International Style”), each loaded down with a dizzying array of cheeses. The sheer volume of cheese is hard to explain, actually — the choice can be a little overwhelming (I spent a few minutes wandering around trying to figure out where to even start), but once you dive in, it’s an incredible — and completely unique — opportunity toget a snapshot of the state of cheese making today (and engage in extreme cheese consumption at the same time!).  

The next ACS Conference will be in Madison, WI, so put it on your calendar!

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  1. rarebutheretheyare reblogged this from cheesenotes and added:
    I LOVE CHEESE!
  2. livinlifestoned reblogged this from cheesenotes
  3. horsehockeybullshit reblogged this from cheesenotes
  4. victoriacuts4th reblogged this from cheesenotes and added:
    I WANT TO GO! SO MUCH CHEESE
  5. prettylittlelullaby reblogged this from cheesenotes
  6. orangutansandcupcakes reblogged this from cheesenotes
  7. bassist05 reblogged this from cheesenotes and added:
    I MUST GO
  8. mariaadear reblogged this from cheesenotes
  9. daysea reblogged this from cheesenotes
  10. still-j-a-y reblogged this from bobchik
  11. ofermod reblogged this from scorpionbird
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  14. reynabitchesa reblogged this from ironyofyouragony
  15. azureattacker reblogged this from afoodfetish and added:
    I just shed a tear
  16. afoodfetish reblogged this from cheesenotes
  17. ironyofyouragony reblogged this from cheesenotes
  18. braverthanyoublieve reblogged this from bobchik and added:
    SABRINA THIS IS FOR YOU.
  19. cookiepoo reblogged this from bobchik
  20. bobchik reblogged this from sillygranade421 and added:
    I love cheese, though I am lactose intolerant now :(..
  21. itsserenaan reblogged this from cheesenotes
  22. acidsong reblogged this from cheesenotes
  23. sarahjoselyn reblogged this from cheesenotes
  24. sparkerpants reblogged this from dinosexual and added:
    I WANT TO GO TO THERE
  25. yu-yee reblogged this from cheesenotes
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