Josie Krogh for culture: the word on cheese https://culturecheesemag.com/author/josie-krogh/ Culture, America's magazine for cheese lovers, delivers stories about cheeses, cheesemakers, travel to gorgeous cheese regions, and practical tips on buying, presenting, and cooking with cheese. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:11:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://culturecheesemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cropped-Culture-Logo-32x32.jpg Josie Krogh for culture: the word on cheese https://culturecheesemag.com/author/josie-krogh/ 32 32 Why the Best Blue Cheeses Today Are Coming from Vermont https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheesemaker-profile/jasper-hill-farm-blue-cheese/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheesemaker-profile/jasper-hill-farm-blue-cheese/#respond Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:59:00 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=50418 For nearly two decades, Bayley Hazen Blue has defined Jasper Hill Farm’s approach to blue cheese. Since its debut in 2003, the flagship blue-veined beauty has collected myriad accolades, including a spot in the top 14 at the 2024–2025 World Cheese Awards. In 2024, the creamery introduced two new variations: Withersbrook Blue, a square format aged in a cryovac pouch with a splash of local Eden Ciders Ice Cider; and Barnstorm Blue, a collaboration with the Murray’s Cheese Caves team, washed in malty ale from Focal Point Beer Co. Though the trio shares the same recipe, each develops its own personality.

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheesemaker-profile/jasper-hill-farm-blue-cheese/feed/ 0 The Best Cheeses of 2026: culture’s Annual List https://culturecheesemag.com/awards/best-cheeses-2026/ https://culturecheesemag.com/awards/best-cheeses-2026/#respond Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:38:19 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=50255 The ultimate list of cheeses that should stay on your radar all year long Welcome to our Best Cheeses issue—a curated selection of our favorite cheeses around the globe. Featured competitions include the 2025 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition (ACS), the 2025 Good Food Awards (GFA), the 2025 Great Taste Awards (GTA), the 2024 […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/awards/best-cheeses-2026/feed/ 0 Why Jasper Hill’s Withersbrook Blue Is the Blue Cheese to Know in 2025 https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/jasper-hill-withersbrook-blue-cheese/ https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/jasper-hill-withersbrook-blue-cheese/#respond Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:09:39 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=50075 Photographed by Nina Gallant | Styled by Madison Trapkin At Jasper Hill Farm, blue cheese has long meant Bayley Hazen Blue—the iconic, award-winning wheel that set the bar for American blues. Withersbrook Blue starts with that same recipe, but instead of wheels, curds are pressed into 4-pound cubes. After aging for 60 days alongside Bayley […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/jasper-hill-withersbrook-blue-cheese/feed/ 0 Reflections on the World Cheese Awards in Switzerland https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/reflections-on-the-world-cheese-awards-in-switzerland/ https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/reflections-on-the-world-cheese-awards-in-switzerland/#respond Fri, 21 Nov 2025 20:22:39 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49984 Switzerland takes cheese seriously in a way that is charming and deeply enviable My judging team holding our Super Gold cheese Corra Linn from Errington Cheese. Pictured left to right: Fabricio Scalco, Josie Krogh, Rachel Juhl. The first thing I noticed stepping into the World Cheese Awards (WCA) was the smell. Warm, milky, and a […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/reflections-on-the-world-cheese-awards-in-switzerland/feed/ 0 Jake’s Gouda: A New York Darling Made From Dutch Tradition https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/jakes-gouda-amish-dutch-new-york/ https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/jakes-gouda-amish-dutch-new-york/#respond Tue, 30 Sep 2025 02:30:03 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49774 An Amish gouda captures hearts and stomachs along the Eastern seaboard and beyond Jake Stoltzfus didn’t grow up dreaming of cheesemaking. By the time he made his first batch of cheese in 2011, he and his wife Sylvia had already raised 11 children and relocated from Pennsylvania to Deansboro, New York, where they purchased a […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/jakes-gouda-amish-dutch-new-york/feed/ 0 Curds & Co is Latest Massachusetts Cheese Shop to Announce Closure https://culturecheesemag.com/news/curds-co-is-latest-massachusetts-cheese-shop-to-announce-closure/ https://culturecheesemag.com/news/curds-co-is-latest-massachusetts-cheese-shop-to-announce-closure/#respond Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:48:31 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49649 Another Massachusetts cheese shop announced it will be closing its doors at the end of summer. After eight years of “bringing great cheese and happiness to Brookline,” Curds & Co will celebrate its last day of operation on September 12. Curds & Co is the third cheese shop to announce closures in recent weeks, joining […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/news/curds-co-is-latest-massachusetts-cheese-shop-to-announce-closure/feed/ 0 Marieke Penterman Is Putting Wisconsin Gouda on the Map https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/voicings/marieke-penterman-is-putting-wisconsin-gouda-on-the-map/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/voicings/marieke-penterman-is-putting-wisconsin-gouda-on-the-map/#respond Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:27:54 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49548 Marieke Penterman is impossible to miss—she’s got the kind of presence that commands a room, much like the gouda she makes. Born and raised on a dairy farm in the Netherlands, she grew up surrounded by cows and the daily rhythm of farm life. But it wasn’t until she landed in Wisconsin with her then-husband, […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/voicings/marieke-penterman-is-putting-wisconsin-gouda-on-the-map/feed/ 0 Smoked Scamorza – A sultry cheese for summer https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/smoked-scamorza-a-sultry-cheese-for-summer/ https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/smoked-scamorza-a-sultry-cheese-for-summer/#respond Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:15:00 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49366 Photographed by Nina Gallant | Styled by Madison Trapkin In the world of Italian pasta filata cheeses, mozzarella may get all the attention, but Scamorza has a sultry charm all its own—especially when it’s partnered with smoke. A staple of southern Italy, this cow’s milk cheese is known for its signature pear-like shape, golden hue, […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/smoked-scamorza-a-sultry-cheese-for-summer/feed/ 0 Think You Hate Blue Cheese? These 5 Could Change Your Mind https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/5-gateway-blue-cheese-convert-intro-beginner-bluecheese/ https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/5-gateway-blue-cheese-convert-intro-beginner-bluecheese/#respond Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:17:00 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49433 There’s no denying that many people have a strong aversion to blue cheese. Our culture is obsessed with expiration dates and visible mold usually means toss it out, so it makes sense that streaks of blue and green in your food might raise an eyebrow—or turn a stomach. And while some people may truly not […]

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]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/5-gateway-blue-cheese-convert-intro-beginner-bluecheese/feed/ 0 A Connecticut Camembert – Karlie’s Gratitude from Arethusa Farm https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/connecticut-camembert-karlies-gratitude-arethusa-farm/ https://culturecheesemag.com/centerfold/connecticut-camembert-karlies-gratitude-arethusa-farm/#respond Tue, 01 Apr 2025 07:47:00 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49088 Photographed by Adam Detour | Styled by Kendra Smith From the world of luxury shoes in New York City to the rolling hills of Litchfield, Connecticut, two businessmen turned their attention from heels to heifers when they purchased a historic farm in the rural countryside. In 1999, the late George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, famous […]

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