The First of Many Cheesy Posts

For my senior initiative project, I will be researching the science and art of cheese. You may think, why cheese? As many people know, cheese has been my favorite food for my entire life. When the opportunity arose to drop a class and study a topic of my choice instead, cheese seemed like the perfect subject to explore because it would allow me to turn my passion into a learning experience.  To learn more about my so-called "addiction," read the essay below that I wrote for a college application. 

They warned us about drugs and alcohol, but I guess I missed the class about cheese. I can’t resist unwrapping the salt stained plastic; breaking off a chunk of Grana Padano with a sharp planer, and salivating as the buzz overtakes my taste buds like the smell of lavender may fill your nostrils at the first site of the Sénanque Abbey in Provence. The cold creaminess of Prince de Claverolle; the lukewarm gooeyness of Brie de Meaux; even the processed stringiness of a Polly-O string cheese; they all give me the fix I need.

In kindergarten, when I was stricken with Coxsackie virus and Bocconcini-shaped bumps filled my mouth, it became too painful to suck my thumb. So, my mom melted a string cheese in the microwave for twenty-three seconds, and this warm, salty pool of cheese became the only decent substitute for my thumb. Much later, to survive chemistry, Ms. Goater offered an extra credit opportunity to create a periodic table of anything. Suddenly, science became fun as I was arranging Roquefort and Niolo into type, percentage of fat, texture, and months needed to age. While I may not be able to explain Le Chatelier’s Principle, I can tell you that Stilton is a semi-hard cow’s milk with 55% fat that takes 6 to 8 months to age and is best served with walnuts, a slice of pear, and a glass of port.

        Nothing is more enjoyable than seeing a friend enjoy a 12-month aged Manchego that I have just introduced to them. Cheese helps me bring people together, and while my life can be filled with its ups and downs, sheep’s milks and tangy blues, at the end of the day it is nice to know that the cheese and I stand alone.