Back in the day, like the middle ages, cheesemakers first started using ash in their recipes. They had their reasons, and so do we. Ever since people first began to combine food and fire, they’ve used ashes to preserve and purify things. Sometimes it’s called vegetable ash, activated charcoal or even vegan fairy dust. This cheese works in the tradition of ash-lined styles like Morbier, but it comes from Coppinger Cove.

The ash line doesn’t change the way it tastes, but it does give Coppinger some extra style. The Little Sequatchie River draws its own meandering line through the Cove. It’s dotted with rapids and swimming holes all the way past the Creamery. We’re in there, sprinkling a fine layer of bling between the two halves of this prize curd while it’s still in the mold. So really, Coppinger was born looking good.