Agela Abdullah for culture: the word on cheese https://culturecheesemag.com 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, 17 Jul 2025 21:51:59 +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 Agela Abdullah for culture: the word on cheese https://culturecheesemag.com 32 32 The Weary Blues https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/black-fatigue/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/black-fatigue/#respond Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:58:04 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49603 On Black fatigue In the years I’ve been writing this column I don’t think I’ve ever written my original idea. This piece is no different. My plan was to write about my first time judging at the American Cheese Society’s Judging & Competition in Minneapolis. I wanted to tell you all about how a friend […]

The post The Weary Blues appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/black-fatigue/feed/ 0 Are you kidding me right now? https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/are-you-kidding-me-right-now/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/are-you-kidding-me-right-now/#respond Sun, 23 Mar 2025 06:01:36 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=49080 Nothing is cuter than a baby goat. I’m ready for the weather to change. I am constantly checking the Chicago forecast to see if I can pull my Birkenstocks out of hibernation. My brother has succumbed to my demands and promised to send me some Vermont maple syrup from the upcoming season. My DMs are […]

The post Are you kidding me right now? appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/are-you-kidding-me-right-now/feed/ 0 The Power of Self-Care: Prioritizing Me Time in 2025 https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/the-power-of-self-care-prioritizing-me-time-in-2025/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/the-power-of-self-care-prioritizing-me-time-in-2025/#respond Fri, 31 Jan 2025 19:15:28 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=48944 Self-care isn’t just about treats—it’s about preservation, boundaries, and healing.

The post The Power of Self-Care: Prioritizing Me Time in 2025 appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/the-power-of-self-care-prioritizing-me-time-in-2025/feed/ 0 Cheese for the Culture: When Being Strong Isn’t Enough https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/cheese-for-the-culture-connection/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/cheese-for-the-culture-connection/#respond Mon, 16 Sep 2024 13:35:13 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=48220 Illustrated by Iris Busjahn I don’t want to leave my hotel room today. It’s the last day of the American Cheese Society (ACS) conference, and I’m full of emotions. Bubbling up to the surface is disappointment and rage. I should be celebrating and filled with joy! Last night, the Cheese Culture Coalition (CCC) had its […]

The post Cheese for the Culture: When Being Strong Isn’t Enough appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/cheese-for-the-culture-connection/feed/ 0 Exploring Culture: Challenging Eurocentrism in the Cheese Industry https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/exploring-culture-challenging-eurocentrism-in-the-cheese-industry/ https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/exploring-culture-challenging-eurocentrism-in-the-cheese-industry/#respond Tue, 05 Mar 2024 21:26:43 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=47147 In culinary school I learned knife skills; I learned the mother sauces and the sauces they spawned. Everything I learned was rooted in classic French style. Everything I was taught had a focus on European standards. But I wanted to cook like my Big Ma—Southern comfort food—biscuits, greens, and grits. I wanted to cook with […]

The post Exploring Culture: Challenging Eurocentrism in the Cheese Industry appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/exploring-culture-challenging-eurocentrism-in-the-cheese-industry/feed/ 0 How Does the Cheese Industry Join In Community With Marginalized Peoples? https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/finding-inclusive-cheese-community/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/finding-inclusive-cheese-community/#respond Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:55:09 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=46464 Agela Abdullah the president of the non-profit Cheese Culture Coalition reflects on her experience finding an inclusive cheese community.

The post How Does the Cheese Industry Join In Community With Marginalized Peoples? appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/finding-inclusive-cheese-community/feed/ 0 Cheese for the Culture: On Cooking Through Grief https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/cheese-for-the-culture-on-cooking-through-grief/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/cheese-for-the-culture-on-cooking-through-grief/#respond Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:50:08 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=45931 Cheese educator Agela Abdullah reflects on using gluten to cook through grief.

The post Cheese for the Culture: On Cooking Through Grief appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/cheese-for-the-culture-on-cooking-through-grief/feed/ 0 Summer Cheese Plate: Spicy and Sweet https://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-pairings/cheeseplate/cheese-plate-spicy-and-sweet/ https://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-pairings/cheeseplate/cheese-plate-spicy-and-sweet/#respond Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:47:41 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=45953 Mary Tuthill of Vermont's Mad River Taste Place shares her favorite summer cheese pairings.

The post Summer Cheese Plate: Spicy and Sweet appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-pairings/cheeseplate/cheese-plate-spicy-and-sweet/feed/ 0 Who Gets To Be A Cheese Educator? https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/who-gets-to-be-a-cheese-educator/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/who-gets-to-be-a-cheese-educator/#respond Wed, 10 May 2023 12:44:56 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=45670 To make the cheese industry more equitable requires doing work that makes you feel uncomfortable, consistency, and a commitment to change.

The post Who Gets To Be A Cheese Educator? appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/who-gets-to-be-a-cheese-educator/feed/ 0 Reflections on a Year: Celebrating the Joys https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/reflections-on-a-year-celebrating-the-joys/ https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/reflections-on-a-year-celebrating-the-joys/#respond Mon, 12 Dec 2022 15:55:13 +0000 https://culturecheesemag.com/?p=45065 I’m sitting in the living room of my new apartment, surrounded by the compartmentalization of my life in box form. My kitties are playing tag and are screaming what I imagine translates to “PARKOUR!” I’m listening to the debut album by the Bird and the Bee, and it is during this scene of joy and […]

The post Reflections on a Year: Celebrating the Joys appeared first on culture: the word on cheese.

]]> https://culturecheesemag.com/stories/cheese-for-the-culture/reflections-on-a-year-celebrating-the-joys/feed/ 0