Joy of Cheese
overview
The course has over 25 lessons that you can take any time, including over five hours of pre-produced instructional videos.
The price of the course is $100, which gets you indefinite access. There are no subscriptions or additional fees. Come back whenever you'd like and use the course as a resource.
The lessons are grouped into five sections:
We'll start the course with a simple framework so you'll understand any cheese you encounter.
We'll learn how to taste cheese too.
A key aspect of understanding cheese is knowing its 10 families.
We'll also learn about the ancient origins of cheese and the science of coagulation.
Feel confident when you serve, pair, buy, cook with, and store cheese.
We'll summarize what published scientific studies have to say about health concerns and health benefits of eating cheese.
Recommendations on how to learn more about cheese and how to stay up to date with the latest happenings.
Joy of Cheese offers a curated collection of accessible and engaging introductory lessons on virtually “all things cheese”. With this course under one's belt, fledgling cheese enthusiasts need never again feel intimidated when standing before the dizzying array of diverse cheeses that grace their local cheesemonger's counter.
What a JOY! This course is truly a complete guide to understanding artisan cheese. Jeremy approaches the topic from a place of joy and it shows! I would recommend this course to anyone looking for an informative, interactive and fun way to learn about one of the most ancient and dynamic foods. A great gift for any cheese lover!
As a former radio announcer, I was impressed with Jeremy's speaking voice, smooth as butter (or should I say Brie?)
The engaging nature of the videos reminded me of James Hoffman's YouTube channel on coffee — the videos have a similar feel. But a YouTube channel is more piecemeal, while the cheese course was organized and structured like a fun elective course. It was helpful for getting a wholistic idea of cheese.
The course seems to me to work equally well for neophytes, dabblers and turophiles, as cheese lovers are known. Watch the lessons in order, jump right to a section of particular interest or get lost in the many nooks and crannies.
I'm planning to start a "cheese club" at my shop so customers can taste and talk about the cheeses they learn about as they take the Joy of Cheese course.
The course is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. It's a work of art.
Years ago, I was the cheese buyer and server at the fine dining restaurant Chanterelle in New York City. At this point, Jeremy knows more about cheese than I do. Jeremy's guidance on pairings makes sense, and meshes with what I recommended at the restaurant.
Even though I have been a cheese lover for decades, this course has given me some new perspectives and new appreciation for a wider variety of cheese, and I have some new favorites that I had not even considered before.
I've never taken an online course as good as this one.
This course is way too much fun! I had to ration my daily exposure, or the course would take over my life.
lesson features
Learn as deeply as you'd like about each topic with these interactive lesson features.
Each lesson has a professionally-produced video, with an average length of 10 minutes. As the video plays, notes pop up below the video with extra information about what's being discussed.
There are over 20 guided cheese tastings and other hands-on activities to do with friends.
There are over 200 explore cards. They include additional lesson information and curated links.
Use the online flash cards to quiz yourself.
Download a PDF summary of each lesson to refer to.
I love talking about cheese, so please ask questions and take part in discussions.
try this at home explorations
Gather your friends and join me as I guide you through over 20 try-this-at-home explorations.
Many of the exercises are cheese tastings, with an emphasis on comparative tastings, like tasting clothbound vs. vacuum-sealed Cheddar. There are other hands-on activities, like identifying aromas to enhance cheese tasting. Some explorations are just for the fun of it; have you ever uncoagulated cheese back to a liquid?
I'll guide you through each exploration in a conversational video that's easy to follow.
The cheese and other items you'll need for the explorations will likely be available locally, but I also provide links if you want to order them online. I provide written instructions on everything you'll need to prepare, the steps to take, and a discussion of what we learned together.
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about me
I'm Jeremy Snyder, and I'll be your instructor. For over a decade, I've been exploring the world of artisan cheese, visiting cheesemakers and other cheese professionals in the US and abroad, attending conferences and classes, and reading numerous books and other resources. I contributed to the Oxford Companion to Cheese, co-writing the "Families of Cheese" article.
In addition to teaching about cheese, I also produced all the content and programmed this website. The whole course is artisan made, just like the cheese we'll talk about!
Prior to founding joydemy, I worked as an engineer in clean energy research and development. I also professionally produced award-winning multimedia to communicate complex topics clearly and concisely.
I live in the Albany, NY area with my wife. We have two children.
This is the first course being offered by joydemy. Let me know if you have ideas for courses on other topics that bring you joy.
faq
Is cheese provided with the course?
Cheese is not included. Instead, I provide written instructions on what you'll need to prepare for each tasting exercise. Most the cheese you'll need will be available in a cheese shop or grocery store. I always provide links to the items I'm using in case you want to order them online. A couple items you'll probably need to order online to complete the exercise, like rennet when we coagulate milk.
Is this a cheesemaking class?
No, this is a course to understand and enjoy the world of artisan cheese. That said, one of the best ways to learn about cheese is to try making it yourself, so we'll make two cheeses, Ricotta and Mozzarella, in try-this-at-home exercises.
How long is the course?
That's up to you. There are about 5 hours of lesson videos plus about 3 hours of try-this-at-home exploration videos. You can choose which topics interest you the most and how many of the extra learning features (explore cards, flash cards, try-this-at-home explorations, etc.) you'd like to take advantage of. Some people get what they want out of the course in a couple of hours, while others have spent more than 60 hours on lessons, extra features, and try-this-at-home explorations. You can choose your own cheese adventure!
What if I have a question about cheese?
Each lesson has a comments section where you can post your questions and talk with me and fellow students.
Can I give the course as a gift?
Yes. If you purchase the course as a gift, you will receive an access code to send to the recipient whenever you'd like.
To send the gift, go to the "purchases" section of your account page, where you'll find the access code. Whenever you're ready to give the gift, click the button that says "Email the access code to the recipient." That will create an email that includes the access code and instructions for the recipient to enroll.
What is the refund policy?
You can get a refund for any reason within two weeks of when the course is first accessed, either by you or the recipient of a gift access code (regardless of when the course was purchased).
Did you receive any industry sponsorship to produce the course?
No, the course was independently produced. All of the information presented reflects my own research and knowledge. I selected the content based on what is most helpful for cheese enthusiasts.
What computer equipment will I need?
You'll need a broadband internet connection to stream the videos. Although the course works on mobile devices, the larger screen of a computer is highly recommended. The course will work on any current web browser.
Still have questions?
Email me at hello@joydemy.com.