Cheese is a great discovery, and a sure sign of civilization, like the discovery of wine and beer, or the growing of rice.
It is controlled spoilage which acts a method of preserving food. The principle is that good, selected microbes keep out the others, and help prevent the total degradation of the food. Korean fermented kim-chi uses the same principle, and enabled the ancient Koreans to have a preserved source of Vitamin C all through the winter.
Good, smelly cheese is a delight. Artificial “processed” cheese (which I am ashamed to say is sometimes called American cheese), especially that coming in separately wrapped slices, is simply not the real thing.
Try Liederkranz from Wisconsin. Let it age for about four to six weeks after you buy it, until it starts softening and turning yellow. It is one of life’s great pleasures.
Bear with me. The Liederkranz ("wreath of song") I recall was made in Van Wert, OH -- in a plant that dated to around 1960. Prior to that, it had been made somewhere in New York state.
When Borden Foods bought the brand, they built the new plant in Ohio and transferred production there -- but, for some reason, couldn't duplicate the product. Eventually, they tried smearing the machinery and the walls with the old product made in New York -- then they locked up and left for the weekend.
Voila!!!
When they cranked the operation back up on Monday, true Liederkranz was the result -- they had re-introduced the original bacteria into the equation.
Ah, memories of a fishing boat, on a 30 A farm pond, a saltine cracker, a slice of onion, a smear of Liederkranz...and a cold beer. Heaven on earth, "wreath of song", indeed.
Perhaps Liederkranz has been sold again and moved to Wisconsin -- in which case they would've had to do the smear the new plant. I know I haven't seen any in the supermarket in several years...