I grew up on the border of Wisconsin, so there’s always cheddar in my fridge. Even so, I was an adult with a new job as a cheesemonger when I realized how vast the world of cheddar is. When I cut into Cabot Clothbound Cheddar for the first time, I realized it was covered in strips of fabric that had to be peeled away. Clothbound means “wrapped in fabric,” but I’d never seen anything like it. The cheese’s caramel sweetness and earthiness were also eye-opening.
What Exactly Is Artisanal Cheddar?
Cheddar is available in a variety of shapes, sizes, flavors, textures, colors, and ages. For this story, I focused on artisanal cheddars—those that are made by hand—so I went to Shelburne Farms in Vermont to shadow the head cheesemaker, Helen Cowan. Our day started at 7:00 a.m. when a truck pulled up with
