NO matter how many varieties of cheese we've eaten, we've barely
begun.
More than 8 billion pounds of cheese were produced in the United
States last year - and billions more were produced outside the United
States. Americans consume almost 31 pounds of cheese per person a
year, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, and many of us
eat only what we buy at the local supermarket or, occasionally, a
gourmet cheese shop.
American cheesemakers produce cheeses of virtually every type -
from small-batch artisan cheeses to Kraft American slices.
Before 1980, there were few artisanal cheese producers; today
there are at least 350 nationwide, according to Saveur magazine.
The American Cheese ...