 Share
|
Cheese CareersMore Cheese InfoCheese Science BasicsCheese FunLesson PlansCheese Around the WorldCheese Board 
Cheese Slices with Cheese³ Broadcast Schedule 2010-2011
Cheese Slices on UEN-TV
Touring three continents, Cheese Slices explores the world’s best-loved cheeses and the passion and skill of the cheese makers who create them. Cheese Slices is hosted by Master of Cheese, Will Studd, who offers this unique 21 part series revealing the history, tradition without equal of these wonderful regions of the world.
The Series includes Genuine Normandy Camembert, the caves of Roquefort, mountain-ripened Comte Gruyere, English Stilton, Gorgonzola, and the age-old traditions of Pamigiano Reggiano. Cheese Slices also features the tradition and history behind Greek Feta, Edam and Gouda from the Netherlands, and the handmade farmhouse cheeses of Northern California, Australia and the US.
Where do you usually eat cheese?
Goats Cheese of Poitou -FRANCE
The Poitou region is the original home of many of the famous goat cheeses of France. Journey to the village of Sainte Maure deTouraine to attend the annual Goats Cheese fair. In the Judge’s Hall one finds out what to look for in a perfect chevre, as well as witnessing an unusual anthronisation ceremony. The largest goat cheese dairy in France is toured, where the difference between St Maure, the most popular goat cheese in France today, and its ancestor Sainte Maure de Touraine is explained.
Cheeses of the Alps-FRANCE
The Alps and Savoie are covered by snow for at least four months of the year and cheese making here has always been a strictly seasonal affair. The local spruce forests play an essential role in ripening the soft and unctuous Mont D’Or . The high summer pastures where we visit a farm making the deliciously creamy Reblochon and learn how to grill it under hot coals. Then it’s on to one of the few remaining cheese makers still making Beaufort, the ‘Prince of Gruyere’ and its smaller cousin Abondance in the high alpage.
Soft Washed Rind Cheeses-FRANCE
There is nothing like the strong seductive smell of washed rind cheeses to bring back evocative memories of a visit to France. Travel to the misty Vosges Mountains of Alsace, the green undulating countryside of Normandy and the pretty village of Epoisse in Burgundy to look at four benchmark monastic cheeses. These are Munster, Pont L’eveque, Livarot and Epoisse. These luscious smelly cheeses have a long history and until recently were threatened with extinction. Their growing popularity today is largely due to the vision and hard work of a few very passionate family owned dairies.
Massif Central and Auvergne-FRANCE
The rugged plateau of the Massif Central and Auvergne is famous for rich green pastures and its six benchmark AOC French cheeses. The differences between three semi-hard varieties that date back to the pilgrims of the 12th century is explained. An unused railway tunnel where more than three thousand cheeses are matured. A cow fair where the locals celebrate the annual transhumance and a visit to the medieval village of St. Nectaire and a troglodyte dwelling where cheese is still matured on rye straw.
Camembert-FRANCE
Camembert is a potent symbol of French cheese making and is copied all over the world. Traditional, Normandy camembert is made under strict AOC rules from unpasteurized milk. A visit to the tiny village of Camembert where it all began, and the nearby dairy of Monsieur Durand who is now the last ‘fermier’ or farmhouse producer in the region. The Cooperative of Isigny St Mere, one of the most respected producers of traditional AOC Camembert in France is also visited. The important difference between camembert and its ancient cousin brie is explained. See the cheese shop of Monsieur Roland Barthlemyin Paris, a famous affineur who supplies the Elysee Palace.
Comte Gruyere and Farmhouse Morbier- FRANCE
Comte is one of the most popular cheeses in France and the most important of all those made under the strict French appellation system, still using traditional methods high in the Alpine mountains that create the border between France and Switzerland. The link between farmer, cheese maker, and affineur are traced. Visits to the old Fort of Saint Antoine where 60,000 crusty wheels are matured. How did Morbier cheese get its stripe?
The Legend of Roquefort-FRANCE
Roquefort is the most popular Blue cheese in France and has a fascinating history that dates back to Roman times. In fact all the world’s Blue cheese made today relies on the unique blue mold that grows in the famous caves beneath the Cambalou plateau at Roquefort. In this episode, Will Studd visits the largest producer of this unique cheese as well as the village and the underground caves that help make it is so special.
The Irish Cheese Renaissance-IRELAND
Though Ireland’s Cheese making dates back to Celtic times, it has really been the past decade that the artisan cheese makers have revived this ancient art. Will Studd explores the spectacularly rug-ged Southwest coast and discovers the washed rind cheeses, blue cheese and an unusual cheese flavored with seaweed.
Gorgonzola - Cave Ripened Tallegio -ITALY
Gorgonzola, the grandaddy of all European blue cheeses made from cows milk and its cousin cave ripened Tallegio, which until recently was one of Italy’s great soft cheese secrets. These fascinating cheeses are created in Northern Italy. Visit Lombardy, and the maze of underground cellars in the town of Novara where more than 70 percent of Gorgonzola is matured. Caves located in the foothills of the alps cooled by melting snow are still used to ripen Tallegio the old fashioned way.
Parmigiano-Reggiano -Grana Padano-ITALY
Parmigiano Reggiano is the undisputed king of Italian cheese and is still made by hand the old fashioned way in giant copper cauldrons. The extraordinary steps taken to control production of this wonderful cheese, and witnesses its birth, a process that is nothing short of magical is explained. Filmed in the beautiful countryside near Parma in Reggio Emilia, meet the Biemme family who have been making benchmark cheese for four generations, and visit the farm and maturation rooms to see how this cheese is matured by robots before being graded by a stagionatura. Investigate the thousand year- old Grana Padano and learn why it’s different from its famous cousin, as well as the correct definition of parmesan.
Pecorino -ITALY
Pecorino is one of the most ancient of all European cheeses. This episode explains the different types before traveling to Tuscany to visit the ‘Il Forteto’ dairy. Formed by a group of social reformers in the 1970’s, this cooperative has since grown to become one of the largest producers of Pecorino Toscano DOP. The town of Bra in Piedmont is where ‘Slow Food’ hold the world’s largest specialist cheese festival every two years. On this occasion they are celebrating traditional shepherd’s cheeses. We learn why raw milk cheese is crucial to ‘Slow Food’ and the importance of protecting biodiversity for future generations.
Mountain Cheese-SWITZERLAND
Switzerland has a reputation for producing the finest mountain cheeses in the world and more than three quarters of these are still made the traditional way from raw milk. Will samples Raclette and learns how it’s made, the old fashioned traditional way over a wood fire. His journey takes him on to the pretty town of Gruyere to look at the origins of a cheese whose name literally means ‘head of a monk’. Then it’s time to meet the king of Swiss cheese, Emmenthaler and find out just how it gets its holes.
Edam, Gouda - THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of cheese in Europe after France, yet it’s famous for just two cheeses, Edam and Gouda. The town of Edam is visited to see what the cheese looked like before it was covered in red wax. Will then visits a Slow Food show in Rotterdam where he discovers a number of interesting traditional cheeses which the Dutch keep for themselves. After learning how real farmhouse Gouda and its cousins are made Will travels to the beautiful island of Texel to look at a cheese that was once colored green with sheep droppings!
Cheddar-ENGLAND
The world’s most copied cheese is Cheddar which originally came from the green countryside of Somerset in England. Meet the last two farm producers of cloth bound cheddar in the county that still makes cheese by hand from raw milk. How it is made, and the all important cheddaring process is explained, before we visit a local cider maker and the famous gorge and caves of Cheddar. Then it’s time to cut and grade the cheese with Randolph Hodgson of Neals Yard Dairy fame at London’s Borough Market.
Stilton - The King of English Cheese-ENGLAND
Considered to be one of the greatest English Cheeses and unlike most other native traditional cheeses, Stilton has never been replicated. This episode looks at why this proud cheese has retained its outstanding reputation for more than two centuries. Visit Quenby Hall and the old Bell Inn in the village of Stilton where the name originated as well as the British Cheese Awards at Blenheim palace to see which Stilton maker will be crowned the king of English blue cheese.
Feta: Food of the Gods-GREECE
The ancient Greeks regarded cheese as Food of the Gods, and it’s no surprise that in Greece today the consumption of cheese per- capita is the highest in the world. Travel to Central Greece to learn how wooden barrels play an essential role in the maturation of traditional Feta and how Manouri, an ancient whey cheese is made. A trip to Crete, the largest of all the Greek islands to sample some delicious local cheese delicacies.
Ossau Iraty Cheese- THE BASQUE
The Basque people proudly boast the oldest language in Europe and one of its most ancient cheeses. Will Visits the pretty village of Espelette to discover the significance of its famous red peppers, before traveling into the mountains to one of the few remaining traditional shepherds’ huts where they still milk their flock of Ewe’s by hand. This region’s cheeses go by many names but the official one, Ossau Iraty in France and Idizabial in Spain.
Spanish traditional Quesos-SPAIN
There are hundreds of traditional farmhouse cheeses made in Spain, but until recently most were not well-known internationally. Investigates the delicious Manchego cheese before visiting the annual cheese fair at the medieval city of Trujillo where he finds a cheese made from Merino ewes milk and set with thistles. The journey continues through the spectacular Picos Europa mountains to look at cave ripened Cabrales and Valdeon.
New Farmstead Cheeses of Northern California-USA
Artisan and hand made farmhouse cheeses have been at the forefront of a growing consumer backlash against innocuous mass produced foods in the United States. In Northern California, meet those responsible for this exciting new movement and after a tour of the Ferry Building farmers market in San Francisco, Will drives north along the coast visiting small producers who make great cheese from cows, goats and even ewes milk. Will also catches up with one of the last traditional producers of Monterey Dry Jack, the oldest and most widely known of all Californian cheeses.
Vermont Cheese-USA
The United States is renowned for creating ‘fast’ processed food and the idea that there is an artisan cheese industry comes as something of a surprise to many cheese lovers. Will Studd looks at some of the finest cheese shops in New York before visiting the beautiful Vermont countryside to meet a new generation of American cheese makers, who share a passion for creating local farmstead cheese with a distinct local identity.
Australian Cheese Pioneers-AUSTRALIA
In its short history, Australia has developed an enviable reputation for its efficient pasture-based dairy system and commodity exports. But, until quite recently the only specialist cheese available in the country came from Europe. Over the past two decades a small group of passionate farmhouse cheese makers have developed a range of unique Australian cheeses from cow, goat, sheep and buffalo milk. Will travels to meet the original pioneers.
Comments?