Reinventing the Wheel: Milk, Microbes and the Fight for Real Cheese

- Blurb -

This smart, engaging book sheds light on the surprising truths and science behind the dairy industry. It is a story that takes the reader on a global journey in the authors' quest as they lift the lid on an industry that is grappling with the consequences of industrialisation at every stage. Over the last century cheese has been transformed from a simple means of preserving milk into a global industry, but at what cost? Local breeds and indigenous microbes have given way to monocultures and monoflavors. The chemical conglomerate DuPont makes bacterial cultures that flavour more than a third of the world's cheese. The quaint notion of terroir - of expressive, artisanal cheeses that convey a sense of place - has been trampled by the juggernaut of homogenous factory production.Through riveting storytelling and incisive reporting, the authors, Bronwen Percival, cheese-buyer at Neal's Year in Borough Market and her husband, food writer Francis Percival, show how cutting-edge scientific discoveries can reverse this trend - and why it matters.