Cheese 101 – Mill City Cheesemongers

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love cheese; when I was a kid I would take blocks of cheddar and just eat them plain. If I could still get away with that I would still do it, but now I’ve grown up and realized there are so many kinds of cheese I cat eat many different varieties (to make up that block of cheese) and experience flavors and taste in a completely different way.

Going to a class to learn about cheese seemed to be the next step I should take, and at Mill City Cheesemongers located at Mill No 5 on Jackson St. in Lowell I was able to do just that.

When I arrived a cheese plate had been set up with seven cheeses, Meyer lemon infused honey, two wines (from our local winery Aaronap Cellars), water, crackers, and a plate with dried pineapple & salt. Next to that was a detailed sheet describing the cheeses and where they were from. There were three cheeses from Massachusetts!

This class was more than just taste testing cheese, it was about learning where different cheeses come from, how they are made, what makes them unique and how to really savor them. Many times when we eat cheese (or anything in general) we scarf it up and forget to enjoy the flavor and what things taste like. This class allowed me to enjoy these bits of cheese and provided me with the knowledge of certain cheese so I know what I am talking about when buying cheese.

My favorites of the night were the Bayley Hazen Blue- a blue cheese (Cow’s milk) , Evelina -a pressed natural rind cheese (sheep’s milk) and the Prairie Breeze- a pressed cooked cheese (cow’s milk). Different flavors of cheese is dependent on what is introduced to it when its being made, and how long its been aged. How it is stored and the mold it’s in can also have a part in the flavor and intensity of the cheese.

If you hadn’t had the chance to check out a class, definitely go. Not only is there plenty of cheese to choose from there are also a variety of other goods you can purchase form the shop. Everything I have had from there has been impeccable and every weekend I’m in the shop buying more!