Cheesemaker’s Pride…

Hello Fellow Cheese Travelers!

Many people across the country are finding themselves homebound this week. A great time to finish some projects, cook, catch up with family and friends, and of course, pick up a good book.

This week’s reading selection has been on my “TO READ” list for some time: Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America’s Most Iconic Cheese by cheesemonger extraordinaire, Gordon Edgar. I had read his book Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge years before and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I knew this book would be a great read. 

I have been wanting to tell the story of receiving my first “Mammoth Cheddar” at my cheese shop, but I think that Gordon did a much better job at telling the story than I could have, but I can tell you that our experiences were quite similar…probably the same sales person :-)

Here is a photo of my 550 lb. cheddar that also doubled as a demo table during our store’s Grand Opening in August of 1988. The man standing with me is Henri Lapuyade (1928-2010), founder of Marcel et Henri pates in South San Francisco. A great man and a good friend!

I had always heard of “Mammoth Cheddars” and wanted to learn more ever since I heard of a children’s book entitled: A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar.

I imagined that these early “Mammoth Cheddars” made by American producers were a way of thumbing their noses at the British, as well as showing off what they were capable of creating domestically, and not having to import it from England…Hence the name for this week’s post: Cheesemaker’s Pride…

 Upon a little investigation, I learned that the story is much more diverse than I first thought….

I found some photos of early paintings and early lithographs of “The Big Cheese” that was delivered to President Andrew Jackson. These images were connected and helped to tell the story of how in 1835, Col. Thomas Meacham delivered a 1,400 lb. cheddar from Sandy Creek, NY all the way to the White House (via the Erie Canal) just in time for George Washington’s birthday on February 22, 1836. Famously, President Jackson opened the doors of the White House and invited the local citizens to “Eat Cheese”.

Although the story did not end there…It seems as if there was a more famous cheese delivery of a “Mammoth Cheddar”, this one was delivered to President Thomas Jefferson on December 29, 1801. This was a gift from Baptist Elder John Leland and the citizens from Cheshire, Massachusetts. This cheese was said to have been made from the milk of 900 cows from Cheshire and a cider press was used as the form. It traveled to Washington by sled and formally presented to President Jefferson in the unfinished East Room. It also contained a note that read “May God long preserve your life and health for a blessing to the United States and the world at large. Signed by order of all of Cheshire (signed by 5 committee members) P.S. The cheese was made, July 20, 1801 – Weight 1,235 lbs.”From the Jefferson archives, we learned in a letter to his son the cheese measured 4’ across and was 17” high. Sure, you could search the internet looking for this story, but I have the entire article from a newspaper dated January 20, 1802, third and fourth columns*. Enjoy!! 

Pleased that I had found the first delivery of a “Presidential Cheese”, I was just about to turn off my computer when I decided to take one last look….Having started my own local genealogical society in 2005, I knew there was probably more out there, so once again I dug into the newspapers of the Library of Congress to discover a newspaper article dated February 24, 1790 that reads: “The Philadelphia Society of promoting agriculture have unanimously adjudged their premium of a GOLD MEDAL for the greatest quantity of cheese, not less than 500 pounds weight, made on one farm in any of these States – to Joseph Matthewson, Esq. of Coventry, Kent County, Rhode Island – Fourteen cheeses presented by this gentleman, weighed from 5 to 6,000 weight.”

“The society directed one of the cheeses to be sent to the President of the United States – As a specimen of perfection to which the manufacture of cheese has attained in this country.” You can read the article here, column 3*.

Well said!!....WOW!!...To have a medal winning, 500 lbs, farmstead cheese that was delivered to President George Washington during his first term of office!! No wonder he’s smiling!!

Fast forward from 1790 to 2020…The World Champion Cheese Contest, which was held in Madison, Wisconsin announced on March 5th that Hennings, a fourth generation cheese producer from Kiel, Wisconsin, won three medals, including “Best of Class” honors. Congratulations to Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Kerry Henning and the whole Henning Family for their contributions to our cheese industry.

Until next week,

Trevor

* In early writing in America, the letter “f” could also be used in place of the letter “s”, a good thing to keep in mind if you’re going to try and read these early newspapers.