There are thousands of types of cheeses, but they all start with a few basic ingredients: milk, cultures, rennet, and salt. How can there be so much variation in taste and texture in something so simple? Join us for an exploration of the six families of cheese! Learn how cheeses are made, taste the different styles, and hear the incredible stories behind each one. Walk away with tips on how to serve cheese, and what to pair with it!

The evening will be led by Peter Endicott, owner of The Cheese Shop of Salem, and his daughter Kiri.

Date: Friday, January 29, 2021
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM EST
Location: Zoom! Link provided in confirmation email.

Cheese Tasting Kit Details

For alumni in the United States: We have partnered with The Cheese Shop of Salem to provide special cheese tasting kits with delivery for this event. You won’t find this kit anywhere else! If you plan to purchase a cheese tasting kit, you will need to order it from a separate link that you will receive in your confirmation email. The deadline for ordering the tasting kit is January 18th.

The tasting kit includes 1/8 to 1/4 lb of each of the following cheeses:

• An alpine style (Gruyere 1655)
• A clothbound cheddar (Flory’s Truckle)
• A washed rind (Epoisses by Berthaut)
• A gouda (Wilde Weide)
• A bloomy rind (Cremont)
• A blue (Roquefort by Gabriel Coulet)

While the cheese ships with ice packs in insulated containers, the cheeses may arrive at room temperature. This does not hurt the cheeses in any way. The only danger is that the cheeses may get eaten before class starts! If possible, please take the cheeses out of the fridge at least 1 hour before the event.

For those who would like to purchase similar tasting samples on their own, you can take this list to a good cheese counter and find substitutes for the six cheeses in the tasting kit:

1) “Alpine style” – any aged (6 months plus if possible) cheese from Switzerland
2) “Clothbound cheddar” – any aged (1yr plus if possible) cheddar (domestic or foreign)
3) “Washed rind” – any soft / semi-soft orange-red rinded cheese (domestic or foreign – stinky or not)
4) “Gouda” – lots of makers of this style in US and Holland – aged 1 year plus if possible
5) “Bloomy rind” – any brie – rind wants to be whitish (domestic or foreign)
6) “Blue” – any blue cheese (domestic or foreign)

It is also suggested to have a beverage on hand to try pairing with the cheeses. Suggestions include wine (especially sparkling), low-bitterness beer, whisky, cider, and tea (from herbal to full-bodied black).

Questions:Meryl Fink ’85