Book Review: The Cheese Lover’s Guide by Jenny Linford

There are plenty of books about cheese, but few manage to make the subject feel as expansive, fascinating and accessible as Jenny Linford’s The Cheese Lover’s Guide, published by Dorling Kindersley. Drawing on her considerable expertise and obvious passion for the subject, Linford has created a book that is part history lesson, part practical manual and part invitation to eat more cheese.

Where Cheese Began

Her particular fascination with the history of food – and with the archaeological evidence that helps us understand how our ancestors ate – comes through immediately. The opening chapter takes the reader back thousands of years, exploring evidence of early cheesemaking and cheese finds from ancient civilisations. It is a fitting introduction from an author whose wider body of work, including The Missing Ingredient and The London Cookbook, demonstrates her talent for uncovering the stories behind what we eat. Here, that historical perspective gives cheese a wonderfully deep sense of place and time.

It has the rare ability to be authoritative without being intimidating, making it equally at home on a domestive bookshelf or behind a professional cheese counter.

From Ancient Civilisations to the Modern Cheese Counter

From there, Jenny covers virtually every conceivable aspect of the subject. The book takes the reader through the development of cheesemaking, including industrialisation and the Renaissance, while also exploring protection and provenance, lactose intolerance, famous cheesemongers, the science behind cheesemaking, and the profound influence of geography and seasonality on flavour. Crucially, she never overwhelms. There is enough information to inform and intrigue without turning the book into a textbook.

The structure is particularly effective. Your anticipation builds as Jenny takes you on a logical journey through the chapters, gradually moving from the origins and making of cheese to the much more practical question of what to do with it once it reaches your kitchen.

A Practical Guide to Enjoying Cheese

The Enjoying Cheese chapter is especially useful. It answers the questions that many cheese lovers have probably wondered about but never thought to ask: what should you ask your cheesemonger? How should different cheeses be stored? At what temperature? Which materials are best? Which knife should you use? How should you taste cheese properly? There is even a flavour wheel to help develop your vocabulary and appreciation.

Building the Perfect Cheeseboard

For anyone who has ever stood in front of a cheese counter wondering what on earth to buy, the suggested cheeseboard themes – complete with specific cheeses – are invaluable. It is, in the best possible sense, a foolproof guide for idiots: practical, reassuring and impossible not to find useful.

Pairings Beyond the Predictable

Then there are the pairings. A particularly enjoyable pairing matrix goes well beyond the predictable combinations, introducing intriguing partners such as lemon curd, white chocolate, asparagus and kimchi alongside more obvious choices. The comprehensive pairing wheels extend across wine styles, beer, cider and spirits, as well as non-alcoholic options, including tea. Nobody is left out, whether their preferred accompaniment is a classic Burgundy or a cup of Earl Grey.

Although The Cheese Lover’s Guide is very much aimed at the cheese-loving consumer, it would also make an excellent reference for cheesemongers, particularly as a source of inspiration when suggesting pairings to customers. It has the rare ability to be authoritative without being intimidating, making it equally at home on a domestic bookshelf or behind a professional cheese counter.

100 Cheeses to Explore

The final chapter is perhaps the perfect culmination of the book: a guide to 100 iconic cheeses, encompassing both the familiar (Cheddar, Gorgonzola and Camembert de Normandie, for example) and the less well known (Esrom, Vasterbotten and Oscypek). Each entry explores the cheese’s history and production, alongside approachable tasting notes. It is the kind of section you can dip into repeatedly, whether you are looking for background on a favourite cheese or inspiration for something new to try.

Ultimately, The Cheese Lover’s Guide succeeds because it understands that cheese is never simply cheese. It is history, geography, science, craftsmanship, culture and, most importantly, pleasure. Jenny Linford brings all of those elements together in a beautifully accessible and remarkably comprehensive manual.

Shop local and take Linford’s guide with you. It’ll help you swerve indecision at the counter when choice threatens to overwhelm.

Nicola Miller, The Suffolk Express

A Useful Companion for Cheese Enthusiasts

For cheese lovers, it is an obvious addition to the bookshelf. For anyone working with cheese in retail or hospitality, it is an extremely useful reference tool. And for anyone who simply wants to become more confident about buying, serving, tasting and pairing cheese, it is a wonderfully accessible and practical companion to have on hand.

Order Jenny’s Book here

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