An in-depth and fascinating look into the world of cheese and its creators
**Wine and Spirits Book of the Year 2017**
A fascinating look into the world of cheese and its creators.
In little more than a century, the drive towards industrial and intensive farming has altered every aspect of the cheesemaking process, from the bodies of the animals that provide the milk to the science behind the microbial strains that ferment it. Reinventing the Wheel explores what has been lost as expressive, artisanal cheeses that convey a sense of place have given way to the juggernaut of homogeneous factory production.
While Bronwen and Francis Percival lament the decline of farmhouse cheese and reject the consequences of industrialisation, this book’s message is one of optimism. Scientists have only recently begun to reveal the significance of the healthy microbial communities that contribute to the flavour and safety of cheese, while local producers are returning to the cheese-making methods of their parents and grandparents.
This smart, engaging book sheds light on the surprising truths and science behind the dairy industry. Discover how, one experiment at a time, these dynamic communities of researchers and cheesemakers are reinventing the wheel.
"It covers breeds of cattle (fascinating), farming (harsh but glorious), and the nature of milk and microbes (again, fascinating) ... a marvellous book, dense with data yet never a slog." - The Wall Street Journal
"A passionate argument for the value of artisanal farmhouse cheeses, explaining what's involved in cheese-making, its history and the prospects for cheese now." - Evening Standard
"A groundbreaking book-cum-manifesto." - Financial Times
"The single most important book I have read this year." - JancisRobinson.com
"A book that combines scientific rigor, commercial expertise and passionate connoisseurship." - The Street
"Challenges us to think more deeply about cheese than almost any of us might have imagined possible. Imperative reading for anyone who wants to understand why a small number of cheeses are extraordinary." - The Art of Eating
"A brilliant consideration of microbial ecology, the science that is causing a refresh of our view of everything from human health to the health of cows and farmers in the dairy industry." - Wine and Spirits
