Reinventing the Wheel: Milk, Microbes and the Fight for Real Cheese

by Bronwen Percival, Francis Percival

**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.

377 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2017

Reviews

[Lucy Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastically informative book, covering so much history. Sometimes difficult to absorb many pages at a time due to the amount of information. Really appreciated going on the journey around France, the UK, and US to learn about the different farming techniques and the interesting qualities of a cheese as a consequence.

[Kes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about exploring artisan cheesemakers - there's a lot of thought that goes into it, and I liked that the end talks about the difficulty of really assessing cheese.

Interesting points:

1) the art of cheesemaking - how the different way milk is treated causes different reactions, how cheesemakers like Edith Cannon knew how to adapt the recipe accordingly.

2) the cows themselves - I read a little about it in The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food, but this talks about how different breeds of cows came in and out of fashion, depending on the farmers and their requirements. Holsteins were able to produce a lot of milk - and that's important today. There's also talk about how industrialisation changes things - the book says, at several points, that industrialisation meant that the milk was only as good as the lowest quality milk.

3) the question of procedure, such as the use of raw milk, the use of wooden boards to ripen cheese and other stuff. There's a bit of nostalgia for the old way of doing things - and how the modern obsession with hygiene can hurt the microbial culture which is required for cheese to ripen. I also liked the talk about starter cultures and how the book touched on microbiology.

Mostly, this was good if you like cheese. There's a description of the different types of cheese, and it makes me want to visit Europe to sample all the different cheese and visit the farmhouses.

[Cade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned about making cheese and the role of cheese on the dairy industry now and historically. I liked that. I just can't fully embrace the authors' thesis that every cheese should be a unique snowflake made by individual dairy smallholders. The authors are fairly self-aware of many of the ramifications and make astute comparisons to the wine and scotch industries. However, they fail to persuade me. They pose themselves this question: "But what is the problem with a system that churns out millions of technically faultless, consistent, inexpensive cheeses?" Their answer is, in my summation, basically that that is boring for professional cheese snobs. I don't find that a winning argument.

[David M · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish had bought a block of cheddar for £17 instead. Worth its weight in Dairy lea.
The authors undoubtedly know their subject but this is for cheese makers or scientists only.
How to take a great product and then thoroughly bore people with it.
There is no doubt the authors enjoyed writing it. Almost as if it should be for there own circle self published and not for general sale.
I apologise but rarely have I been so bored.

[Emma Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great introductory book to the nerdy world of cheese and dairying. Covering all parts of the process from the cows, the bacteria and the human history the book poses many questions. The authors give their views as passionate people on the subject do but the reader is encouraged to engage and come to their own conclusions.

If you share a fascination of wine and spirits this would be an excellent foray into adding cheese to your repertoire.