Have you ever tried raw milk cheese? I'd never really give the whole raw milk/raw milk cheese thing much thought until I tried some at the show. Apparently some folks really have their knickers in a knot over the whole raw milk product thing. If this is all new to you, I'll give you the Cole's notes version on both sides of the argument:
-People who like raw milk products say unpasteurized milk is healthier for you, as helpful nutrients and organisms are killed by pasteurization (that's a fancy word for boiling milk and cooling it down really quickly). They also say raw milk/raw milk cheese is more digestible and tastes better than pasteurized, and that for hundreds of years people have enjoyed milk this way so what's the bfd already? Discussion boards on the subject are plastered with comments like "I've drank raw milk all my life and it never did me any harm" or "I never had stomach problems until I moved from the farm to the city and started drinking pasteurized milk" etc etc.. Lots of cheese in European countries is made with raw milk, where the rules are more loosey goosey than here in North America. These folks argue too that artisan farmers that produce raw milk are cleaner and more careful than evil factory farms.
-People against raw milk products say "Fools! Have you forgotten that TB and e.coli and listeria killed all kinds of people pre-pasteurization? The olden days weren't necessarily better you know!" One elderly discussion board participant brought the message home by recalling a story from her youth, of how her mother died and she and her sister became seriously ill by drinking TB infected raw milk. Our government (Canada) forbids the sale of raw milk, but hard raw milk cheeses are perfectly legal, if they've been aged a minimum of 60 days, and farmers can drink raw milk from their own farms. As for taste, anti-raw milk persons argue that raw milk is simply higher in fat, which would account for why some people find it richer tasting.
My big, fat opinion is this: I get why the government forbids it. Harm reduction on a large scale is always their biggest concern, particularly when it comes to health and epidemics. Laws are made to protect the many, not the few, I get it. But, I don't see why a fully informed person with a desire to drink raw milk couldn't source out a clean, disease-free farm of their choice and go for it. One could argue that alcohol and gambling machines pose an even greater social threat, and yet the government is our 'dealer' in both these cases. Could raw milk not come with a warning, a la cigarette packaging? ANYWAY...
I did try the most exquisite raw milk cumin-infused Gouda at the show, and guess what? I'm still here! In fact I think I'm better off for having it; this cheese was so good it has made me absolutely determined to go and investigate raw-milk cheeses further. It took all my willpower not to run off with the half-wheel sitting on the sample table in front of me. Made by Adam and Hanny van Bergeijk of Mountainoak Farm in New Hamburg Ontario, this cheese was seriously, seriously to die for. Their black truffle Gouda was outstanding too. Adam and Hanny have been making cheese for a looooong time, first in Holland (they know a little something about making cheese over there!) and now here in Ontario. These nice people are moving, so their cheeses won't be available until later in the year. Email them at mountainoak@can.rogers.com to find out when/where you can buy their insanely supple, flavourful cheeses. Below is a clip of Adam talking about Mountainoak cheese:
Next on Wine Show Wind Up--How Sweet It Is: Dad and I drink Sauternes!
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