Product Description

The discovery of cheese is a narrative at least 8000 years old dating back to the Neolithic era. Yet after all of these thousands of years we are still finding new ways to combine the same four basic ingredients - milk bacteria salt and enzymes - into new and exciting products with vastly different shapes sizes and colors and equally complex and varied tastes textures and yes aromas. In fact after a long period of industrialized processed and standardized cheese cheesemakers cheesemongers affineurs and most of all consumers are rediscovering the endless variety of cheeses across cultures.

The Oxford Companion to Cheese is the first major reference work dedicated to cheese containing 855 A-Z entries on cheese history culture science and production. From cottage cheese to Camembert from Gorgonzola to Gruy?re there are entries on all of the major cheese varieties globally but also many cheeses that are not well known outside of their region of production. The concentrated whey cheeses popular in Norway brunost are covered here?? as are the traditional Turkish and Iranian cheeses that are ripened in casings prepared from sheep's or goat's skin. There are entries on animal species whose milk is commonly (cow?? goat?? sheep) and not so commonly (think yak?? camel?? and reindeer) used in cheesemaking?? as well as entries on a few highly important breeds within eac