From its history in the Loire Valley to its recent (mostly resolved) FDA issues, there is much to know about this beautiful type of cheese.
Ash has been part of the cheesemaker’s toolkit for centuries, first in French cheeses Morbier and Valençay, then in American originals such as Wabash Cannonball. Despite a brief blip in 2015, when the FDA raised concerns about ash and detained many imports, ashed cheeses remain an essential component of the well-stocked cheese case.
Many (alas, not all) of the questioned imports have returned, and domestic cheesemakers keep debuting creations cloaked or ribboned with fine dark ash. Consumers, chefs, and food stylists appreciate the visual appeal of these cheeses, assuring their continued popularity. Has any cheese ever been more photographed than Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog?
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