Americans don’t really need a designated day to express their love for cheese, but National Cheese Day falls on June 4 every year.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average person consumes around 42 pounds of cheese annually, which is a record high in 2022.
Even with the growing popularity of vegan cheese alternatives, cheese consumption per person in the U.S. increased by 17.1% in 2022, as reported by the USDA.
Chef Raymond Hook, a cheesemonger and owner of Capella Cheese, attributes our love for cheese to its creamy texture, richness, and depth of flavor.
Cheddar is believed to be the most popular cheese in the U.S., followed by blue cheese, and soft cow’s milk cheeses like Camembert and brie, which originated in France.
Food and Drink
Say bye to brie: Some of your favorite cheeses may soon be extinct
3:42 PM, Mar 12, 2024
Some popular cheeses from Capella Cheese include a cave-aged Comté reserve cheese from France, described on their website as “herbaceous and fruity,” along with house-made burrata and mozzarella from their Atlanta shop.
Hooks shared a variety of cheeses with Scripps News anchors, including a goat cheddar from Somerset, England; an organic manchego from Spain made from milk of black Manchega sheep; and the current World Champion Cheese, Hornbacher from Switzerland.
European Union countries are the top cheese producers globally, followed by the U.S., Russia, and Brazil, according to Statista.
The top cheese-producing states in the U.S. include Wisconsin, California, Idaho, New Mexico, and New York.
While cheese is a good source of protein and calcium, it’s also high in saturated fat and salt, which can lead to health issues like high cholesterol and blood pressure. Therefore, the American Heart Association advises limiting dairy consumption.
