Cheddar: America's Favorite Cheese

Guest: Gordon Edgar, cheesemonger for San Francisco’s Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, blogger, and author of "Cheddar: A Journey into the Heart of America’s Most Iconic Cheese”

Cheesemonger Gordon Edgar traveled coast to coast to discover why Americans love cheddar cheese so much and to investigate claims of superiority from Wisconsin to Vermont. Along the way, he introduces us to foodies taken in by the charm of Velveeta and a sheepherder who didn't realize that some people make cheese from sheep's milk.  

A Quick Tour Through the 9,000-Year History of Cheese

Guest: Paul Kindstedt, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Vermont

One of the workhorses of the Western diet comes from fermented or curdled milk in various colors, flavors, textures, and smells that range from the sweet to the savory to the downright disgusting. Our guest is a cheese historian from Vermont, the heart of American cheese country. Who discovered it and when, and where did all these varieties come from?