Cheeselog

Charlotte Hirst, our Assistant Manager, tells of her travels and cheese discoveries in Michigan. Come into the shop and try many of the Zingerman’s cheeses now!

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I spent my Thanksgiving out of the cheese shop visiting family in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Ann Arbor is a funky college town and home of Zingerman’s.  Zingerman’s started as a Deli in 1982 and has expanded to include a restaurant, bake house, and creamery.  I took the creamery tour on my recent visit and brokered a deal to offer their cheeses in our store!  This makes Cheesetique one of only two places on the east coast that carries Zingerman’s cheeses!

The creamery started in 2001 on a farm outside of Ann Arbor and moved to a more industrial location in Ann Arbor in 2003.  They started the creamery because they wanted the best cream cheese and were unable to find a cream cheese up to their standards.  This inspired them to make their own.  They have expanded to goat cheese and recently started making a hard cow’s milk cheese which will be available in the spring.

Zingerman’s makes all their cheese by hand and hand ladles their curds. 

What I love about Zingerman’s is their milk!  They get their raw cow’s milk for one dairy, Calder Dairy, a family run dairy since 1946 in Carleton, MI, which still does home milk deliveries. Zingerman’s receives 300 pounds of milk a week from Calder Dairy. Zingerman’s gets their raw goat’s milk from Old MacDonald’s farm. No, seriously, that is the name of the goat farm outside of Grand Rapids, MI. 

After Zingerman’s receives their milk, they heat treat the milk to 150 degrees for 30 minutes.  This is the lowest temperature for the shortest time allowed by law for pasteurizing milk used in fresh cheese making.  This is why their cheese tastes so delicious!  I hope you will stop in to Cheesetique and try some the Zingerman’s fabulous cheeses!

Uddwina’s rating: Four Teats!