Inspired by the massive attention that was given to the Kony 2012 campaign that was started by the non-profit group Invisible Children, I decided to step into the game with something else that needs attention, Cheese.

I give you this: Colby 2012

Colby is a cheese, and a damned good one. It is time to raise awareness for this often forgotten and misunderstood dairy product.
Let’s begin with cheese, I’m sure you all know what it is, but in case, we’ll give you a quick education (or maybe a refresher).

Cheese is a rather generic term for a group of milk based products, that vary in texture, colour and taste. Not only is it made from the milk from cows, but also from goats, sheep and even buffalo. The cheese is produced through the coagulation of the milk into curds, which are created by adding an acidic enzyme. These solid curds are pressed together and have the moisture (some times not all of it) removed, and are shaped, aged, coloured and/or flavoured. Shapes can be wheel, brick, block or even the favoured Colby shape known as Longhorn (think a tube of cheese). Age should be self explanatory… seriously. Flavour can be added by using Herbs, Spices, wood smoke or even using molds, either in the cheese or in the rind. I summarized the cheese wiki page, you can get more info from it too.

Now that you know a little more about cheese, let’s get to Colby. It was developed in 1874 by Joseph F. Steinwand at his fathers factory, which was located just outside of Colby, Wisconsin. Colby is very similar to Cheddar, but does not go through the ‘cheddaring‘ process, thus producing a cheese that is softer, milder and moister. Colby is considered a semi-hard , and goes through a washed-curd process, where the whey is replaced by water, resulting in the milder flavour. Colby is created in a fashion similar to Monteray Jack, although the Jack is not coloured and is softer, and sometimes the 2 cheeses are combined to create Colby-Jack. Colby should not be aged, as it dries out rather quickly.

It is now time to free Colby from being a table cheese. No longer should it only be grated or shredded as a topping for salads and snacks. No more time spent on the grill. No longer bound to nachos. It is time to make Colby the cheese we choose in 2012.

#colby2012 #savethecheese

Cheese and Colby information taken from Wikipedia, credit belongs to the Wiki authors. Thanks guys and gals.