Breed During the spread of cheesemaking in
the Middle Ages, hundreds of different dairy
animal varieties were bred to make the best
use of local pasturage. The Brown Swiss is
thought to go back several thousand years.
Today, most of these locally adapted breeds
have been replaced by the omnipresent black-
and-white Holstein or Friesian, bred to
maximize the milk it yields on standardized
feed. Traditional breeds produce a lower
volume of milk, but a milk richer in protein,
fat, and other desirable cheese constituents.
Feed: The Influence of the Seasons Today
most dairy animals are fed year-round on
silage and hay made from just a few fodder
crops (alfalfa, maize). This standard regimen
produces a standard, neutral milk that can be
made into very good cheese. However, herds
let out to pasture to eat fresh greenery and
flowers give milk of greater aromatic
complexity that can make extraordinary