By ADIA REYNOLDS
Tiger Media Network
“Around the Globe” has been a regular event at the Hays Public Library for the last two years. The event rotates between different food items and locations around the world. On Wednesday, the “Around the Globe” was cheese-themed.
Adult Services Librarian Jessica Shields didn’t have to look far for the event’s theme.
“I love cheese,” Shields said. “We’ve done other items such as desserts and so this time we thought we’d try out cheese.”
The event took place in the community room of the public library, where staff organized eight themed tables. Each table also included a sign with fun facts about the available flavors including smoked cream cheese, myzithra, fondue, Fromager D’Affinois, Gorgonzola, Cotswold, Meseta, Cambozola, and Gouda aged for 60 months.
Most of the varieties were unfamiliar to attendees, but all put their best foot forward, even trying the cheeses with edible mold. Cheeses were also complimented with various breads, crackers, and fruit that are known pairings from their country of origin. The cheeses were sourced from the United States, Greece, Switzerland, France, Italy, England, Spain, Germany, and Holland.
Hays residents turned out in droves, flooding the entryway of the library. Turnout was higher than anticipated, but there were still plenty of cheese samples to go around.
The event was intended for adult participation, but that didn’t stop parents from bringing children along.
“I always wanted my daughters to grow up with an expansive palette, so I’m glad they’re willing to experiment at events like these,” said parent Jason Roberts.
FHSU Assistant Professor of Philosophy Rob Byer said his favorite was the Habanero Smoked Cream Cheese.
“It was creamy, spicy, a tad sour, and a great complement to either crackers or dried fruit… My least favorite was Gorgonzola. I like a little funky cheese, but that one was just too strong in the ammonia-like flavor for me.”
Attendees like Byer were provided with pen and paper to denote their opinions on the flavor compounds of each cheese. Byer went on to describe his affinity for cheese of all kinds, including the Cottonwood River Reserve cheese made by Jason Wiebe Dairy in Durham, Kansas.
Byer said he discovered the event through his wife, Brittney Squire. She noticed the Facebook ad for the event and said that cheese is a staple for them when hosting and they enjoy trying a variety of new cheeses from the Murray’s Cheese Shop at Dillon’s on Vine St.
“Other notable experiences with cheese include a cheese board-making class I took online during the pandemic and a cheese of the month gift from friends a couple years ago,” she said. “We enjoy the Wiebe Dairy cheeses at Paisley Pear and Shiloh Vineyard.”
To find the next event in this series, keep an eye on the HPL Events Calendar.