Growing up in the 1960s, it seemed a harmless bit of family lore and quaint historical quirk that my great-grandfather had fought with the Confederate cavalry in the Civil War. A little bit of digging revealed that he was active and prominent in the Confederate veterans’ organization and ergo a firm believer in the myth of the Lost Cause, a whitewash of the secessionist defeat.

To hear a distinguished culinary entrepreneur as successful as Kurt Dammeier speculate warily on his businesses’ chances of survival is a sobering reminder of the coronavirus crisis’ potential long-term impact on the world of fine cheese and dairy.

Two women who met in Singapore while living there due to career commitments found an interesting way of acting out their midlife crises—opening a dairy to make buffalo-milk cheese and ice cream in a farming village some 12 kilometers outside of Luang Prabang, the ancient spiritual capital of Laos. Five years on, their efforts are going strong.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro who’s watched cheesemaking countless times or a true novice, the chance to see it done by hand over an open fire in a big copper kettle is truly an unforgettable sight. You’ll now fully understand the meaning of formaggio (formation). This demo was courtesy of Anna Juhl's Cheese Journeys and Giuseppe Fiori of Guffanti.