In this episode I talk to Perry Wakeman, Britain's first Affineur of the Year, and Head of Cheese at Cambridge-based affinage house Rennet & Rind, to answer everyone's first question: What the heck is an affineur?

Perry answers that and a whole lot more -- from the wackiest happenings he's encountered in a cheese cave to some of the most moving moments in his life in artisan cheese. Show notes here.

Milk is seasonal! And so is cheese. In this replay episode, we talk about how milk varies throughout the year, a few cheeses that are at peak tastiness right now. Show notes here.

Episode 13 talked a lot about Cheddar and its classic milled cousins. We left the story just hinting at the ongoing renaissance in British cheesemaking. In this episode, I interview passionate cheese nerd Mike Nistor (Instagram | Twitter) about how British cheeses are evolving--and some of his favorites and where to find them. Show notes here.

Cheddar is one of the most widely sold cheeses in the world. It's made in every hemisphere, and is a central ingredient in countless casseroles and other cheesy dishes throughout the Anglosphere. Its signature tang and unusual size and shape are all products of a quest for the perfect balance between a crowd-pleasing, snackable texture and durability. Its history encompasses trade wars, conquest and empire, and the birth of industrial-scale food production, as well as international cooperation in the development of dairy science. Show notes here.

It's the time of year for rich foods and lavish spreads--and that means cheese! In this episode, we talk about the special properties of winter milk and what that means for late-season cheesemaking. And then how to choose cheeses for a memorable holiday cheese board. Show notes here. 

Washed rind cheeses are popular across Northern and Eastern Europe, but their reputation for stinkiness had dire implications for their popularity in late-Victorian North America--and for North American cheesemaking as a whole! Show notes here.

"Natural Rinds" is a big banner, encompassing a wide range of semi-firm to hard cheeses--everything from Asiago, Beaufort and Cheddar to Pecorino, Roncal and Tomme. Here we talk about what goes on inside the rind, and why it matters what's on it. Show notes here.

Summer is prime cheesemaking season in much of the northern hemisphere!  In this episode we talk about milk seasonality, transhumance--and pigs! Show notes here. 

Blue cheese is one of the more mysterious and divisive types of cheeses. There are many myths about it, and often people have had one unpleasant blue and are never tempted to try another. But blues can have a wide range of intensity, different textures, and secondary flavors ranging from apple and pear to nuts and cedar. In this episode we start exploring this very diverse group of cheeses. Show notes here. 

Brie shows up on pretty much every catered cheese board because it's usually mild and has a nice mouthfeel. But there's more than Brie in the world of fuzzy-rinded cheeses! Start venturing off the beaten track--whether with a triple-cream Brillat-Savarin or a goaty Valençay. Learn how to choose a good one and how to serve it. Show notes here.