International Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day

INTERNATIONAL RAW MILK CHEESE APPRECIATION DAY is October 21, 2023

Check out @OldwaysCheese and #rawcheeseday on social media to connect and find out more!

Since 1999, Oldways and a group of dedicated producers, importers, retailers, and cheese lovers have advocated to preserve raw milk cheeses around the world. In 2015, the Oldways Cheese Coalition created the Annual International Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day (aka #RawCheeseDay) to highlight the diversity and deliciousness of cheeses made with raw milk.

More Information on this year’s #RawCheeseDay events

#RawCheeseDay will be here soon! Stay in touch with us on Instagram, where we will be posting Reels about raw milk cheese, discussions with cheese mongers, and more!

Here’s how the members of the Oldways Cheese Coalition are celebrating this special time of year! Read below to get involved:

• Zingerman’s Delicatessan is hosting a virtual event with Sweet Grass Dairy on November 3rd. 
  • With over 30 national and international awards for their cheeses, Sweet Grass Dairy is leading the way for cheesemakers from the American South. Their commitment to quality milk from barn-free cows, grazing on fresh grass year-round in Thomasville, Georgia comes through in their range of cheeses from fresh fluffy spreads to aged piquant blues. In this Meet the Maker event, our Zingerman’s Deli Event Coordinator Tessie Ives-Wilson will be joined by Jessica Little, who owns Sweet Grass Dairy with her husband Jeremy. They will talk about the dairy, cheese selection and guide you through a tasting of a variety of Sweet Grass Dairy cheeses (including our very favorite Green Hill and a few brought in just for this event!). We’ll also have some special treats to accompany the cheeses in your kit – including a salami made with one of the Sweet Grass Dairy blue cheeses! Learn more

• Peterson Cheese will be highlighting the delicious Seignemartin Comté cheeses from the Satio Collection

  
  • Seignemartin is a third generation family run company dedicated to the care and maturing of Comté, France’s most sold cheese. Located in the Jura mountains near the commune of Nantua, Seignemartin’s cellars contain the specialized conditions to bring out the best in each wheel of Comté. As an affineur, they select and age Comté from approximately 15 cheesemaking cooperatives spread throughout the AOC production area. These dairies are carefully chosen partners selected for the exceptional quality and distinctive flavors of their cheeses. Seignemartin sends their trucks out into the mountains and collects freshly made “white” wheels of Comté. At this stage, the cheese is very mild, without the characteristic rind or flavor. The wheels are brought into the cellar, placed on spruce planks, and the maturation begins. The affineurs carefully consider the place of origin and season of production, and use their experience to age every Comté to its full nuanced potential. Every wheel of Comté is unique, but careful selection and aging ensures a consistently amazing cheese. Learn more
• Emmi Roth is celebrating Raw Cheese Day by offering one lucky winner a sampling of their best-selling raw milk products imported from Switzerland including Emmi Le Gruyère AOP, Emmi Emmentaler, Kaltbach Cave-Aged Gruyère, and Tête de Moine Rosettes. For more details on how to enter, visit our Instagram @emmicheeseusa on October 15th. Learn more
• Comté Cheese Association is highlighting some fun and easy recipes to make with Comté cheese! To celebrate National Raw Milk Cheese Day, @comté_usa will be showcasing on social media—delicious seasonal recipes, and cheese and charcuterie boards that embrace all the ways you can use Comté cheese! For more information on Comté, go to comte-usa.com. Learn more

Learn More About Raw Milk Cheese

Raw milk cheeses are made with milk that has not been pasteurized, or heat-treated. Pasteurization removes many of the fungi spores, yeasts, and microorganisms that make a cheese unique. There are delicious pasteurized cheeses, but raw milk cheeses are worth celebrating for their complexity of flavor, diversity, and history. 

The quality of the ingredients, the extreme care taken by producers, and the natural cheese aging process ensure that raw milk cheeses are a safe choice. Their producers represent years, even decades, of knowledge and thoughtful cheese-making. 

Interested in learning more? Here’s a good place to start: 

Things to Look for in a Traditional Cheese

A Dietitian’s Guide to Raw Milk Cheese

Find a cheese store near you and treat yourself to delicious raw milk cheese