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The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese

Finally, a comprehensive guide to American artisanal cheese makers! We love Steve Jenkin’s Cheese Primer, but it was written over ten years ago — well before the blossoming of the American cheese scene. And Max McCalman’s The Cheese Plate and Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best are superb explorations of cheese from all over the world. But to learn about the incredible richness and variety of cheese from little farms and creameries all over the US, where was one to turn? Enter Jeffrey P. Roberts, who has long been an advocate and instigator for small cheese producers and helped establish the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese at the University of Vermont. He has put together a lively reference book with information on 345 cheesemakers in forty-three states. Grouped by geographic region, each entry focusses on a single cheesemaker, describing the farm or creamery and what kind of cheeses they make. There’s also contact information and lots of great photos. Think of it as a travel guide through the American cheese scene. And it’s on sale at the shop now — $35 — fresh off the presses.