Cheese Slices

The ancient Greeks regarded cheese as Food of the Gods, and it's no surprise that in Greece today the consumption of cheese per head of population is the highest in the world.

The Basque people proudly boast the oldest language in Europe and one of its most ancient cheeses. Will visits the pretty village of Espelette to discover the significance of its famous red peppers.

The rugged plateau of the Massif Central and Auvergne is famous for rich green pastures and its six benchmark AOC French cheeses.

There is nothing like the strong seductive smell of washed rind cheeses to bring back evocative memories of a visit to France. Will travels to the misty Vosges Mountains of Alsace.

The Alps and Savoie are covered by snow for at least 4 months of the year and cheese making here has always been a strictly seasonal affair.

Switzerland has a reputation for producing the finest mountain cheeses in the world, and more than three quarters of these are still made the traditional way from raw milk.

The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of cheese in Europe after France, yet it's famous for just two cheeses, Edam and Gouda. Will visits the town of Edam.

Artisan and hand made farmhouse cheeses have been at the forefront of a growing consumer backlash against innocuous mass produced foods in the United States.