Ep18 - Cheese - Twelve Foods of Christmas

Floris van Dyck (c. 1575–1651) Still Life with Cheeses, c. 1615

Floris van Dyck (c. 1575–1651) Still Life with Cheeses, c. 1615

Ep18 - Cheese - Twelve Foods of Christmas

  • The custom for cheese at Christmas is like so many other Christmas traditions is about seasonality and preservation techniques.

  • Many cheeses that we enjoy at Christmas have been made in the summer and are just coming in to peak maturity around the holidays.

  • For at least 200 years, if not 300 years, people in Yorkshire people have enjoyed a crumbly cheese along side fruitcake or their Christmas cake.

  • Continental cheese IS delicious but we have some amazing cheeses in the UK, over 700 varieties to try.

  • Something that is totally ingrained as truth in my head is that cheese before bedtime will give you strange dreams as happens to Ebenezer Scrooge who eats cheese before he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come. But scientists believe that the protein tryptophan which is found in milk can help us to relax and sleep better. Along with dopamine found in the fat in cheese which is a chemical that increases feeling of well-being. It’s also the digestive properties that have made cheese a good dish to have at the close of a meal.

  • There are also so many leftovers living in the fridge that can easily pick up the scent of strong, potent cheeses which even wrapped up can still linger, pong and be borderline

Medieval illustration of cheese makers

Medieval illustration of cheese makers

A few years back I decided to bundle all my interests together and rebrand from Smy Chutney to Smy Goodness so that all my preserves, crafts, products and workshops could live together in one place. My own podcast seemed a suitable place to uncover, understand and enjoy things related to food, art, history and design. Please do share your stories, knowledge, questions and suggestions. In the Smy Goodness.com podcast section you will find the podcasts and all the items that we are discussing and will have ongoing discussions about each week.

You can also follow Smy Goodness on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. I'd like to thank Ashley Palmer for use of his Roland R-09 and Matteo Borea for creating the music. Thank you for listening.