Chef Anthony Bourdain once famously said, "You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese." Sharing a good piece of cheese with a partner, family member, good friend, or even a stranger is one of the highest acts of love, in our opinion, and Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to do so. Many customers will inevitably ask for "your most romantic cheese" in anticipation of the holiday, and we wanted to provide a few suggestions and talking points for what we here at Formaticum consider to be romantic cheeses! 

The mythical origin story of Gorgonzola and many other blue cheeses is one of the most well-known pieces of cheese-related lore, but never fails to entertain a customer. According to legend, a cheesemaker who had just finished the evening milking was distracted by his lover, and came back the next morning to the milk still in the vat. In an attempt to hide his indiscretion, he added the morning milking to the vat and covered the evening milk, which of course contained some very active bacteria after its night in the vat. The result was a cheese containing blue mold, which was discovered to be very delicious, and the rest is history. In this case, an act of love actually helped invent a brand new cheese! 

Soft, creamy cheeses hold a romantic place in history as well. In 774, the Emperor Charlemagne was visiting a monastery where the monks were busy making an unfamiliar soft cheese with a bloomy white rind, which would come to be known as Brie de Meaux. Charlemagne fell in love with this cheese with his first bite, and demanded that it be sent to him annually from then on. He wasn't the only royalty to fall in love with Brie - King Louis XVI's dying wish was to have one last bite of Brie! 

Soft cheeses like Brie and triple creams are the perfect pairing with bubbly beverages like Champagne, Prosecco, or non-alcoholic sparkling cider. They also contain high levels of phenylethylamine, known colloquially as the "love drug," which causes the body to produce dopamine and feelings of contentment. 

Cheddar itself is a universally loved cheese, but did you know that America's first cheese factory was opened in 1951 by a husband and wife team? Jesse Williams is generally credited with opening the factory, but his wife Amanda was also a well-known cheesemaker at the time, and the factory was known for producing cheddar.

There is also something very romantic about the continued preservation of centuries of cheese history. The image of farmers leading their herds of flower- and bell-adorned cows down from mountain pastures is almost synonymous with mountain or Alpine cheeses like Beaufort, Gruyère, and even Ossau Iraty, presenting a romanticized perception of the time-honored tradition of transhumance.

And sometimes, we love a cheese so much that we simply don't want to share it with anyone, For many people, this cheese is aged Gouda - these cheeses contain tyrosine crystals, which encourage the body to produce dopamine and epinephrine, creating feelings of euphoria. They're part of the reason why we love cheese so much! 

Providing proper care is an important act of love towards cheese. So, whichever cheese your customers choose to share with their loved ones, remember to wrap it in Formaticum cheese paper to keep it in the best possible condition. Browse our bulk wrapping material selection or email wholesale@formaticum.com to request a wholesale account. 

In early January, as the dust settles after the holidays and the crowds of cheese lovers dissipate, you may find yourself with some extra cheese in the case. Perhaps you ordered one too many wheels of Raclette, or you couldn't quite sell through that last wheel of Comté. Instead of letting it sit lonely in your case for a few more weeks, try introducing some added-value products to help move it out faster and get it into baskets and stomachs. 

While holiday catering orders are probably waning, the single-serve cheese plate is a perennial favorite and a great way to utilize extra cheese or accoutrements you have on hand. Formaticum's Faux Slate Trays are the perfect way to package and display a grab and go platter for a snack option, customers who need something quick to bring to a dinner party, or even the ever-relevant "girl dinner". 

One of our favorite ways to utilize excess cheese is the in-house cheese blend. The convenience of not having to grate or shred their own cheese is something that most customers are willing to pay extra for, especially if they don't also have to choose their own cheeses for the blend when the post-holiday decision fatigue has fully set in.

Use this opportunity to offer a House Mac & Cheese Blend or Fondue Kit that utilizes the cheeses you need to sell through. Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags are the perfect way to package your shreds and keep them fresher, longer! (Available in retail cartons or bulk cases of 500 bags.)

You can even elevate this offering by including a recipe like this one from our friends at Gourmino: 

Fondue for 4: 

1lb (appetizer) or 2lb (main course) TOTAL blend of shredded cheese 

2 tbsp corn starch 

1.5 cups dry pear cider or dry white wine 

1 clove garlic 

5 pinches sea salt 

3 tsp fresh lemon juice 

To Finish: 1-2 oz of Kirsch, freshly ground pepper to taste, a few pinches of fresh nutmeg

Grate all the cheese into a bowl and gently mix in the cornstarch. In a saucepan or fondue pot on the stove, heat the cider or white wine to a gentle simmer. Grate the garlic clove into the liquid, to taste, then add in lemon juice and sea salt and stir to combine.

Slowly whisk in handfuls of the grated cheese mix over steady low-medium heat, adding another handful once the cheese has melted. Be sure to whisk continuously to avoid clumps. Once the cheese is totally incorporated and brought back up to temp, it should have a velvety smooth consistency. Adjust the consistency with more pear cider/ wine if it is too thick, or a little more cheese if it's too thick.

Remove from heat and transfer to a fondue pot over a half-open Sterno can. Adjust seasoning with salt, to taste, add in a splash of Kirch and gently stir. Grate fresh nutmeg and a pinch of black pepper to serve. Serve with crusty bread, apple slices, sausage, pears, and your favorite roasted root vegetables. Enjoy! (And don't forget to store your leftover cheese in Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags.)

Do you have a favorite way to use leftover holiday cheese? Let us know by emailing wholesale@formaticum.com!