Cheese Primer

This is a great book - packed with more than any one person could possibly ever want to know about cheese. Jenkins e starts out the book very well, giving you basics about cheese: the different kinds, how to serve it, how to store it, which to choose and which not to choose, how each of the different groups of cheese are made, etc.I read every page of the beginning of the book. The author is a complete cheese-freak...which is good. He knows a lot. But the one thing I wish he'd done is take into consideration us normal mortals a bit. I can't afford to pay huge amounts for cheese, and I don't live in NY near an awesome cheese shop. In fact, I don't really have a cheese shop except at the fancier grocery store in town - which does have a decent cheese counter.I haven't finished the whole book - I'm into the more detailed part that goes into many different kinds of cheeses. I know I won't remember it all, but it is fun to read about it. And I understand how to buy and care for cheese so much better now. And I love trying different cheeses, so I will make a list of some that he's described that I want to try, and see if I can find them!One other thing, he includes information about the historical aspects of different cheeses and where they come from, etc. and I found all that very interesting. Overall, it's a great book, and if you're a Foodie and amateur chef like me, it's really good reading.

I credit this book with opening my eyes to the wide world of cheese. As a true neophyte, I use this book as a starting point whenever I head out to Whole Foods to bring another cheese back to the family (sorry, The Cheese Shop in Beverly Hills is just too darned far). Do keep in mind two things about this book. One, it is a cheese primer, not the bible of all things cheese. Use it to pique your curiousity and to get ideas. Two, taste is subjective and just because a cheese expert likes something does not mean you will (and vice versa). Take Taleggio and Oka. Mr. Jenkins finds Taleggio to be sublime and meaty. I find it to be stinky and bad tasting. Mr. Jenkins finds Oka to be stinky and mediocre. I think it rocks (my wife does find it stinky, though--okay it's a bit stinky but it tastes really good). He's also dismissive of Mimolette while my whole family loves it. Not a ding against Mr. Jenkins, though, because I would not have tried Mimolette if his book had not inspired me to try everything. Just remember to take his subjective opinions with a grain of salt and you will be fine.

If you want a guide & reference book on cheese names and types by country and regions, It is great, but if you want to know or learn more about cheese making it is the wrong book.

great book with good background and commentary.explains the what, when, and how of cheese. (taste, storage, and serving/eating)bought another one for someone else who was getting interested in cheese and she loves it. (also bought local cheese guide)

This book has more information on cheeses world-wide than I've ever seen gathered in one place. It discusses cheeses from each of the major (and not so major) countries in the world. And in my favorite section, Mr. Jenkins does a state-by-state inventory of artisan cheeses. There are also sections on how to enjoy cheese and what to enjoy it with. On the down side, there are no color pictures and many of the black and white photos are of lesser quality. But all in all, an excellent book for those relatively new to cheese.

Working in the specialty department of whole foods market, and having tasted my way through a hundred cheeses, i needed to know more! this book is great-- more about cheese than you would ever want or need to know. I picked this book because it is the reference book we use at work, and it explained way more different cheeses than any 5 books combined. the author is very opinionated--i dont agree with some of his blacklisted cheeses, but he is passionate about cheese. and cheese is an honorable thing to be passionate about. great book! and the wine pairings are very helpful--

Okay, I am a confirmed turophile; I love cheese. This book is more than comprehensive. The Primer lacked good colorful pictures to show off the various popular cheeses. I ended up buying another book just so I could see what the cheeses should actually look like. I need to see visuals!! I did not care for the crowded copy either. It was also a little too textbookish for me. Definitely not for the coffee table, but a good resource guide.

I like the layout of the book, the lack of pretention in the delivery of information designed to increase, for example, prospective dinner hosts' confidence when selecting cheeses for a charcuterie board. Also, it's just a fun diversion into a world that I should've known more about. Yay, cheese!

Comprehensive.