Fromology (CHEESE) with Kyra James
Part 1: Soft. Hard. Fresh. Aged. Stinky. Illegal. Let’s talk cheese with Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) and Fromologist, Kyra James. We chat about proprietary bacterial slurries, basement caves, cheese knife etiquette, rind eating, vegetarian versus vegan cheeses, cheese history, different warm-blooded animals whose milk is used for cheese, American cheese side-eye, shoe deodorizers, and how to chat up a monger.
And come back next week to learn more about plant-based cheese options, how to properly store cheese, the difference between orange and white cheddar, the grilled sandwich debate, DIY cheese, pricey varieties, squeaky curds, the moon’s composition, how cheese changes your brain chemistry, and the ultimate charcuterie board. Plus: holes and crystals and maggots, oh my!
[Content warning: we discuss dairy and do make acknowledgments of animal rights concerns, and next week we discuss vegan options in more depth. However this episode and expert’s focus isn’t the ethics of dairy farming as a whole, but rather the process of cheesemaking. We do have a future episode planned about plant-based diets.]
Listen via Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Podbay, Podcast Addict, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Part 2: We’re back with molten hot cheese trivia in Part 2 with Fromologist Kyra James of OwnYourFunk.com. Part 1 covered the foundations and this week we address your listener questions about cows on boats, plant-based cheese options, how to properly store cheese, how cheese changes your brain chemistry, the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake, the great grilled cheese debate, DIY cheeses, squeaky curds, Missouri’s cheese caves, the moon’s composition, and the ultimate charcuterie board. Also: holes, and crystals and maggots, oh my!
Listen via Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Podbay, Podcast Addict, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Visit Kyra’s website and follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn
Donations went to the Cheese Culture Coalition and Team Up’s 2025 Building Schools in Kenya
Links to things we discussed - Part 1:
Cheesy Personalities: Kyra James
The Women Bringing BIPOC Representation to the Cheese Industry | Vogue
Get to Know America’s Greatest Women Cheese Professionals | Saveur
The Hot List: 9 Cheese Stars to Watch | culture
The Definitive Guide to 5 Kinds of Cheese Rinds and Which Are Edible?
Patterns of world history with sources. Vol. 2 (Third ed.).
Emerging trends and future prospective in enzyme technology
How to Eat Cheese When You’re Lactose Intolerant
Sodium Citrate: The Secret Ingredient That Makes Nacho Cheese So Melty
Why Sodium Citrate is the Secret to the Silkiest Cheese Sauce
Miriam Simun, a breast-milk cheese-maker
Making Human Cheese, 2011: HD Video with audio, 4:10
'Deliciously creamy': The world of breast-milk cheese
Cows, Goats, and Sheep, Oh My! What Difference Does a Milk's Source Make for Cheese?
WebMD: Goat Milk: Are There Health Benefits?
Sanctity of the cow in Hinduism
Raw Milk Recalls - Current Events and Summaries
Époisses or Époisses de Bourgogne stinky cheese
Origin and meaning of phrase "cut the cheese"
PediFix® SteriShoe® UV Shoe Sanitizer
Meet the Lesbian Cheesemongers of the ‘LGBrieTQ’ Community
BabyBel Cheese recycling program
Is dairy disturbing your dreams? Here's what a study on food and sleep found out.
Links to things we discussed - Part 2:
Thrillseekers tumble down hill in UK’s Cheese Rolling contest 2025
2025 Gloucester cheese rolling competition ragdoll
Piophila casei: the cheese fly or ham skipper
Brunost or Gjetost: Norwegian sweet cheese food
The secret resistance behind the world’s most dangerous cheese
Guinness World Records 2009, Most Dangerous Cheese
Emmental Cheese FAQ: 13 Most Burning Questions Answered
On the Formation of “Eyes” in Emmental Cheese
Powder permitted to help with holes in Emmental cheese
Switzerland: Scientists Find the Secret to the Holes in Swiss Cheese: Hay Dust
Mechanism and control of the eye formation in cheese
Scientists Have Finally Figured Out Why Swiss Cheese Has Holes
America’s Test Kitchen: Should I Use Butter or Mayo on the Outside of My Grilled Cheese?
Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government currently stores 1.4 billion lbs of cheese
Silja’s baking! Mormor’s Goods
Throw Momma From The Train - Cows
How To Pronounce Ossau-Iraty (French Basque Cheese Name)
Video: Random Yumminess - Squeaky Cheese in Wisconsin
Other episodes you may enjoy:
Gastroegyptology (BREAD BAKING)
Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT)
Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF)
FIELD TRIP: I Go France and Learn Weird France Stuff
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn