Every year, I return from the American Cheese Society (ACS) conference with my brain spinning from all the conversations and ideas. I’m still trying to process everything I heard, observed and tasted at this packed three-day meeting, which a lot of attendees liken to summer camp. It’s certainly as fun as summer camp (if you’re a cheese nerd) but with less fresh air, more alcohol and way more food for thought. While I mentally unpack from the recent meeting in Des Moines, I wanted to share a few hot takes from the gathering, including a surprising statistic I heard about goat cheese.
Read moreAsk Her Anything
Why is this woman smiling? She’s about to take the Certified Cheese Professional exam, concluding eight months of intensive study. At 65 (believe it or not), Erin Selby is not a typical CCP candidate, and her motivation isn’t typical either. Most people want the credential for career advancement. For Selby, passing the exam would cap a cheese journey that began more than four decades ago, with a college year in Switzerland. But her determination to master the subject really kicked into gear after an intimidating encounter with a cheese clerk.
Read moreWhy the Big Smile? →
If your cheesemonger has a little broader smile these days, it could be because he or she has just passed the CCP exam. Like a bar exam for the cheese industry, the CCP (Certified Cheese Professional) quiz is a rigorous test of knowledge. Modeled loosely on programs like Master of Wine and Master Sommelier, the three-year-old credential encourages professionalism among the people who market and sell specialty cheese.
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