American Cheese Society

We are the leader in promoting and supporting American cheese and cheesemakers. Join us!

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So many great cheeses at amazing prices! Open until 2. Proceeds support the American Cheese Education Foundation. #CheeseSociety13 (at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center‎)

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Special delivery from Vermont! Best of Show Winnimere just arrived for the Festival of Cheese! #CheeseSociety13 @CellarsatJH (at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center‎)

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Be sure to check out the Annual Cheese Sale tomorrow. We'll have great deals on cheeses that scored big in our 2013 ACS Judging & Competition.

Open to attendees and the public, this is a great opportunity to buy the best cheeses made in North America at great prices.

Most individual pieces will be sold at $5/lb. A special offer will also be available: $75 for all you can stuff into a conference cooler bag, with the bag zipped (bag included). A few special wheels will be auctioned. Cash is preferred.

Proceeds benefit the American Cheese Education Foundation.

11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Aug. 4 Monona Terrace - Grand Terrace Madison, Wis.

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Died & gone to breakfast heaven

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Via Wedge in the Round:

Scenes from this morning's Breakfast of Champions spread of butters, yogurts, cultured products and fresh unripened cheeses served with a variety of breads and condiments. Today is off to a good start!

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A few photos of the Best of Show winners from yesterday's Judging & Competition awards ceremony. Congratulations to all the winners!

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The results are in! The 2013 Best of Show cheese is Winnimere from Cellars at Jasper Hill  in Vermont.

Second Place overall was awarded to Bear Hill from Grafton Village Cheese of Vermont.

Third Place overall was a tie between two cheeses from Bleu Mont Dairy in Wisconsin: Bandaged Cheddar and Big Sky Grana.

Congratulations to all the 2013 winners!

For a complete list of awards visit CheeseSociety.org.

(Photo courtesy of Christine Hyatt, Cheese Chick Productions)

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Meet the Cheesemaker #CheeseSociety13 (at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center‎)

(Photo courtesy of MacKenzie Smith, Grilled Cheese Social)

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Good luck to everyone taking the ACS Certified Cheese Professional™ Exam today! All 200 of you!

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Curds for breakfast, anyone? #CheeseSociety13 (at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center‎)

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Welcome to Wisconsin! #CheeseSociety13

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Who says that you can’t have a great tasting cheese that is low in fat and salt? Low Fat and Low Salt cheeses are defined as followed:

· Fat-Free: less than 0.5 grams fat per labeled serving size & no added fat or oil

· Low Fat: maximum 3 grams total fat per serving for serving size if serving size is more than 30

grams or 2 tablespoons; and 3 grams of fat or less per 50 grams of product if serving size is less than

30 grams or less than 2 tablespoons.

· Light or Lite: if less than 50% of calories come from fat the cheese label must show a 33.3%

reduction of calories than referenced amount or 50% reduction in fat. If more than 50% of calories

come from fat, the cheese labels must show a minimum of 50% reduction of fat per referenced

amount.

· Reduced Fat: minimum 25% reduction in total fat per referenced amount.

Source: U.S. Nutrition Labeling & Education Act - Nov., 1990

  Which Low Fat/Low Salt Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

(Image courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board)

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This pizza favorite was first introduced after World War II when American soldiers brought home a taste for Italian pizza. It is now the second most popular cheese in America (after Cheddar). As a Pasta Filata cheese, Mozzarella is made when curds are dipped in hot water and then stretched into strands, giving it the ability to stretch and melt perfectly.

Fresh Mozzarella skips the curing and aging process, and instead is submerged in water. It has a mild, milky flavor that is best to eat after only being a few days old.

Which Mozzarella will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

(Image courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board)

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Blue Mold Cheeses are ripened with either penicillium roqueforti or glaucum. The origins of Blue Mold Cheeses are unknown, but it is thought that they were first discovered when mold from the penicillium  family mistakenly transferred from bread to a nearby piece of cheese.

The flavor can range from mild to pungent. Common styles are Roquefort and Gorgonzola.

Which Blue Mold Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

(Image courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board)

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The American Made/International Style category is divided into five subcategories: Dutch-style all milks, Emmental-style with eye formation made from cow’s milk, and three open categories (based on milk type) for cheeses such as Havarti, Butterkäse, English Territorials and Monastery.

Dutch-style Gouda and Edam were first made in Holland more than 800 years ago. Both are known for their rich, buttery, slightly sweet flavor that develops caramel notes with age.

Better known as Swiss cheese, Emmental-Style cheese has a yellowish color and a buttery, slightly sharp taste. Eye formation refers to the holes formed by gas bubbles that have been released by bacteria used to make the cheese. Because it melts so well, Emmental-Style cheese is your best friend for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.

Which American Made/International Style cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

(Image courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board)

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By ACS definition, a Farmstead Cheese must be made with only milk from a farmer’s own animals. No other milk can be used. Farmstead Cheese can be made from all types of milk and can include various flavors.

For ACS Judging & Competition, Farmstead Cheese is broken down into five subcategories:

MA: Open Category – Soft

MC: Open Category – Semisoft

ME: Open Category – Hard

MG: Open Category – Aged over 60 days – made from goat’s milk

MS: Open Category – Aged over 60 days – made from sheep’s or mixed milks

There is a separate category for Farmstead Cheese with added flavor.

Which Farmstead Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

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The Cultured Milk Products category continues to grow. Tangy is in!

For ACS Judging & Competition, Cultured Products will be divided into seven categories. Cultured milk products can include Yogurt, Crème Fraiche and Kefir.

QC: Cultured Products – made from cow's milk

QG: Cultured Products – made from goat's milk

QS: Cultured Products – made from sheep's or mixed milks

QF: Crème Fraiche Products – made from cow’s milk

QY: Yogurts – Plain with NO Additional Ingredients – made from cow’s milk

QD: Yogurts – Plain with NO Additional Ingredients – made from goat’s milk

QE: Yogurts – Plain with NO Additional Ingredients – made from sheep’s milk

Which Cultured Product will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

(Image courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board)

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Teleme was first produced in the San Francisco Bay Area before World War I. It’s a semi-soft cheese with a tangy flavor. After several weeks, Teleme becomes runnier with a stronger flavor. It is a signature favorite for pizza and risotto.

Which Teleme will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

(Image courtesy of Christine Hyatt, Cheese Chick Productions. Check out Christine's ACS Best of Show Project on her blog.)