Cheese Friday™ : California, we rule!

California's cheese industry closes in on Wisconsin
By ROBERT RODRIGUEZ
Fresno Bee

If California has happy cows, Wisconsin's must be depressed.
The Golden State is expected to topple the Dairy State as the largest cheese maker in the nation. But it won't be easy and may even take a couple of years. California wrestled away the title of leading milk producer nearly a decade ago. read more


Here's a quick history of Cheese in California:
From www.realcaliforniacheese.com

1769 Cheesemaking Introduced To California
Father Junipero Serra begins to establish the 21 missions that still dot the California coastline. He introduces many varieties of fruits and vegetables, including grapes, and lays the foundation for the agriculture industry in California. He also introduces dairy cows and cheesemaking.

1882 Monterey Jack, A California Original, Is Born
David Jacks, a businessman in Monterey County, is the first to market Monterey Jack, which his Swiss and Portuguese dairymen develop from old mission recipes. It becomes one of the most popular cheeses in the country.

1915 Dry Jack Created
Dry Jack is created when a San Francisco cheese wholesaler, D.F. DeBernardi, leaves an order of fresh Monterey Jack in storage for too long. Later, when World War I interrupts shipments of Parmesan and Romano from Italy, he discovers that aging has caused the Jack to harden and acquire a sweet, nutty flavor. Italian-American families quickly adopt this delicious alternative to the Italian hard cheeses. By the 1930s, an estimated 60 California cheesemakers are producing Dry Jack.

1920s Greek Immigrants Develop Teleme, Another California Original
In attempting to recreate Teleme, a Feta-like cheese found in Greece and nearby countries, Greek immigrants near San Francisco create an entirely new cheese from fresh cows milk - California Teleme. This unique semi-soft cheese has a distinctive rice flour rind.

1993 California Becomes Nation's Dairy State
The state's milk production reaches 25 billion pounds, making California the leading milk producer in the country. Nearly four out of every 10 gallons of milk produced goes to California cheesemakers.

2000 Cheese Friday™ is born
Details are confidential.

2005 California Cheese Production Surpasses 2B Pounds
California cheese production reaches a record 2.14 billion pounds in 2005. The state's more than 50 cheesemakers produce 250 different varieties and styles of cheese, and industry experts project that California will soon become the leading cheese producing state.


thanks to snavy for reminding me to post!


Mr. DNA (copy & pasting since 1994)