It's a strange turn for a nation, that for years, judged its cheeses by how well they melt in the microwave.

But suddenly the nation is being inundated by high-end cheeses that challenge the palate in ways industrial cheese couldn't dream, cheeses that for once have Europeans looking west with envy.

Welcome to the world of America's

cutting-edge curds, where obscure cheeses can attain cult status and massive grocery chains tout cheeses that once wouldn't have made it in the door.

Mainstream retailers are jumping into the specialty cheese market like never before, says cheese expert Laura Werlin, author of "Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials."

"Everybody is going to have more exposure and the ability to buy these cheeses," she says.

Why the sudden cheese surge? In some ways, it's a case of money talking.

Artisanal cheese is one of the fastest growing segments of the $59 billion gourmet food industry, with cheese and dairy expected to see double-digit growth through 2012, according to consumer research firm Packaged Facts. Much of that growth will come from speciality and artisanal cheeses.

That demand has translated into retailers clamoring for the product. But it also goes deeper.

The collective American palate has become increasingly adventurous and sophisticated, thanks in part to a pervasive food media that has helped turn the U.S. into a nation of would-be foodies.

Here are some of the more significant recent trends and changes to the cheese world:


Mainstreaming
No longer are fine cheeses the provenance of specialty shops, or even the Trader Joe's, Wegman's and Whole Foods of the world. Demand has sent the typical grocer scurrying to get in on the artisanal cheese scene.

The Kroger Co. grocery chain, for example, recently spent three years wooing one of New York's pre-eminent cheese shops, Murray's Cheese, to lend its name and expertise to the chain's cheese offerings.

The effort may pay off. Later this year, mini Murray's Cheese shops will open at an undisclosed number of Kroger stores. Murray's owner Rob Kaufelt says it's a worthwhile experiment in brand

extension.

Murray's chief competitor, New York's Artisanal Premium Cheese, Inc., meanwhile, sold its operation to American Home Food Products, a former building supply company that is switching to food manufacturing.

The move should give Artisanal the money and exposure to become a stronger national brand.

Even without the backing of cheese world eminents, grocers nationwide have begun offering robust cheese selections that put their offerings of even five years ago to shame.


France comes wooing
All the attention on American cheeses has the French toiling to hold on to their share of the U.S. market.

In July, the French government formed the Cheeses of France Marketing Council and launched a campaign to remind American consumers to "remember that the original is France," says Phillipe Jachnik, the group's chairman.

"We have witnessed an incredible increase of French cheese in the United States," says Jachnik. "The biggest beneficiaries of that has been the cheese producers in the United States."

As more Americans have acquired a taste for good cheese - no doubt fueled by the 22,000 tons of French farmstead cheeses imported last year alone - more U.S. cheesemakers have angled to produce it.

"It's putting European producers on their toes," says Werlin.

And the realities of the market work against European cheeses, says Jachnik. The French are challenged to produce cheese in sufficient quantities for the U.S., never mind the logistics of exporting a highly perishable food.


Aging gracefully
The switch from American processed cheese food to small-batch artisanal goat cheese was fast. And now the American appetite - ever hungry for something new - is changing again.

Hand-crafted and small-batch simply isn't enough anymore. To have curd cachet now requires a cave.

A tremendous focus now is being given to the aging of cheeses, and high-tech caves where that can happen are starting to show up around the country.

Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vt., for example, recently opened an ultramodern 22,000-square-foot aging cellar that is the buzz of the cheese world.

Meanwhile, Murray's and Artisanal both have built caves or temperature controlled rooms, and Whole Foods launched one in the basement of a New York store last year.

"I hate to call it a trend, but there certainly is an interest among cheesemakers, retailers and restaurants in creating a proper environment for cheese aging," says Werlin.


Boom in selection
Until recently, buyers such as Kaufelt and Artisanal's Max McCalman had to leave the country to find enough cheeses to stock their shelves. Today, they are overwhelmed by choice.

"The number of people who have entered into the cheese industry is dramatic," says McCalman.

When the American Cheese Society was first formed 25 years ago, board members could count on their hands the number of American cheesemakers producing farmstead cheeses, says board director David

Grotenstein.

Now they number in the

hundreds.

And the group, which gives out the most coveted American cheese awards, has seen the number cheeses entered into its competitions balloon from 300 cheeses in 2001 to more than 1,200 last year.


Cheeses worth the hunt
Ready to move beyond the obvious at the cheese counter? Here are some up-and-coming cheeses that are all the chatter on the cheese scene. You may not find them everywhere, but they are worth the hunt.

n California Crottin from Redwood Hill Farm (Sebastopol, Calif.)

This goat farm has been making award-winning cheeses since the 1960s. The real gem their California Crottin, a creamy cheese that has twice won the American Cheese Society's Best in Show award. These mini wheels form a blonde wrinkly texture with age while developing an earthy robustness on par with their French counterparts. redwoodhill.com

n Clothbound Cheddar from Cabot (Montpelier, Vt.)

This traditional English-style cheddar is the crown jewel from an otherwise industrial cheese maker. It is handcrafted using old techniques - milk is turned into cheese paste, then bound in cheese cloth, brushed with hot lard and turned frequently for 40 days until a chalky rind forms.

This astonishingly good cheese tastes more like an excellent Parmesan than a cheddar. It won a gold medal at the world cheese awards in 2004 and best in show from the American Cheese Society in 2006. cabotcheese.com/

n Grayson from Meadow Creek Dairy (Galax, Va.)

Like an Italian tallegio, this washed rind cheese is crafted from cow's milk and washed with a brine that aids in the development of its pungent orange-red rind and semi-soft velvety texture with hints of nuts and sweet flavors. meadowcreekdairy.com/

n Oregonzola from Rogue Creamery (Central Point, Ore.)

This Gorgonzola-style cheese is aged 120 days in the caves of this southern Oregon farm, giving the creamy textured cow's milk curd deep blue veins and flavors that span sharp, tangy and fruity. roguecreamery.com/pilot.asp

n Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company (Dodgeville, Wis.)

Often referred to as one of the best American cheeses, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made from cow's milk in the French Alpine tradition. This hard cheese is aged four months and has accumulated numerous awards. It is dry, sharp, yet pleasantly sweet. uplandscheese.com/

n San Andreas from Bellwether Farms (Sonoma County, California)

This aged sheep's milk cheese has none of the mustiness sometimes associated with this style cheese. Made from raw milk, San Andreas is a smooth, lightly sharp table cheese that pairs nicely with red wine. The cheese placed second in farmstead sheep category at the 2005 American Cheese Society national competition. bellwethercheese.com/home/

n Truffle Tremor from Cypress Grove Chevre (Arcata, Calif.)

The newest goat cheese from this award winning dairy sports flecks of earthy black truffle studded throughout the velvety cheese. cypressgrovechevre.com/

n Tumalo Farms Classico from Tumalo Farms (Bend, Ore.)

This semi-hard goat's milk cheese is produced from goats fed grain, grass and alfalfa while only drinking well water. It is aged between two and three months in a cave built into the side of hill, which imparts this Gouda-like cheese with a sharp, earthy quality. tumalofarms.com/index.asp


Golden Corn Cakes with Goat Cheese and Bacon
Start to finish: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

5 slices of bacon, each about 1/8 inch thick

2 cups corn kernels

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

5 ounces Capriole goat cheese

1 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, leaving the reserved drippings in the skillet. Coarsely chop the bacon and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the corn and onion and saute until the onions are golden.

Remove the skillet from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and

1/4 cup of the goat cheese. Add the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cayenne. Mix well. Stir in the corn and onion mixture.

Generously coat the same skillet with a film of vegetable oil and place over medium heat. When oil is hot, fry the corn cakes in batches.

Drop a 1/4 cup batter for each cake into the pan, leaving room for spreading.

Use a spatula to flatten each cake slightly. Cook for about

1 minute, or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip the cake and cook on the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned.

Transfer the cakes to a paper towel-lined platter. Cover the platter with foil to keep the cakes warm while frying remaining cakes.

To serve, arrange corn cakes on a clean serving platter and top each with 1 teaspoon of the remaining goat cheese and sprinkle with scallions and bacon.

- Recipe from Capriole

Farmstead Goat Cheeses,

capriolegoatcheese.com

Truffle Tremor,

Salami and Pepper Jelly Crostini

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

12-inch baguette, cut into

1/4-inch slices

1/2 pound Truffle Tremor (a black truffle-studded goat cheese made by Cypress Grove Chevre)

1/4 pound thinly sliced soppressata (or other spicy salami)

Small jar of pepper jelly

Top each slice of bread first with a thin piece of the cheese, then with a slice of salami. Spread a dollop of the jelly over the salami.

If desired, warm in a 200-degree oven for several minutes before adding the jelly.

Gnocchi Alla

Gorgonzola

Start to finish 20 minutes

Servings: 4

1 pound gnocchi pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 ounces finely crumbled Gorgonzola-style blue cheese (such as Rogue Creamery's Oregonzola)

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to package directions (generally, just until they float).

Drain and return the gnocchi to the saucepan.

Add the olive oil and wine and toss to coat. Add the parsley and black pepper and toss again.

Add half of the cheese and toss until the cheese has mostly melted.

Divide the pasta between serving bowls, topping each with a bit of the remaining cheese.

- Recipe adapted from Rogue Creamery, roguecreamery.com