much hard work, and under the oversight of a master cheesemaker from Northern Ireland, we had finally mastered Geak (Jack) and cheddar, and were eager to cut into our first wheel of Edam. Imagine our disappointment when, contrary to our expectations, it was networked with veins and air pockets!

 

And this was NOT Swiss cheese!

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Disheartened, we handed it over to one of our dairy hands to dispose of, which he did by burying it in the ground; if nothing else, it might prove to be good fertilizer!

Some two months later, the worker noticed a dog digging where he'd buried the cheese. For a closer look, he pushed the dog aside, and discovered that it was the cheese that had attracted the animal.

 

Being a curious fellow, he took a plug from the heart of the wheel and, somewhat tentatively, as you may imagine, tasted it. It was amazing! He brought it to us, and we agreed. It was full, rich, creamy, and flavorful! We told our cheese-master, who asked us to take him, step-by-step, through what we had done, and he taught us how to duplicate it minus the burying and the dog.

 

The result is Tabita Edam, the signature cheese in our line! Proof that great mistakes can sometimes yield better fruit than the best-laid plans!