ABSTRACT
Drawing on several years of ethnographic research among artisan cheesemakers, retailers and boosters in the United States. This chapter suggests that a tradition of artisanal cheesemaking locates its distinctively American heritage in an entrepreneurial sensibility. At talks given at annual meetings of the American cheese society (ACS) and in a raft of recent popular cheese books, American artisanal cheesemaking is collectively characterized by shared cultural commitment to innovation as a source of value and integrity, even artisanal authenticity. Just as the appearance of continuity in European food traditions relies on changing methods of fabrication and marketing, the chapter demonstrates through the example of the oldest continuously operating artisan cheese factory in the United States. It examines how an emphasis on change relies on continuity 'in order to demonstrate its effect'. A tradition of invention is enshrined in the ACS designation of American Originals as a classificatory category for its annual judging and competition.
