Sally Jackson Sheep/Goat
Oroville, WA, USA
Produced by Sally Jackson Farm

Sally Jackson makes one type of cheese, a simple pressed cheese wrapped in leaves. Whether she uses goat, cow, or sheep's milk, her cheese showcases the power of excellent quality raw milk. They are fragrant and earthy, and taste distinctly of the various microflora present in the milk. Seek out their yeasty tang whenever you can.

Vermont Shepherd
Putney, VT ,USA
Produced by Major Farm

The Majors are still the Kings of American sheep cheese. One look at the thick, crusty rustic rind, and you know that you're in for a farmstead treat. The cheese is hearty and meaty, with a long complex finish of cream, mushrooms, and nuts, which comes from that beautiful raw milk.

Ricotta Di Pecora
From anywhere sheep's milk cheese is made

Ricotta isn't technically a cheese, but the process is so similar, and intricately bound up in the cheese making process, that we consider it one anyway. Ricotta is made from whey, the liquid that runs off during the curdling process. In the whey, perfectly good protein runs off, and all it takes to curdle it is a little heat. The best ricotta is made with sheep's milk; its whey has the most complex chemical makeup for an incredible density in the mouth, and more lingering flavor.

Monterrey Jack
Originated in Central California, now made all over America

Attributed to David Jacks, a Scotsman who made a fortune selling it to 49ers. Jack cheese was probably based on traditional cheeses made by the monks and Spanish settlers who called early 19th century California home. Now there is no mistaking the classic tang of this delightful snacking cheese. Of course you want to avoid the bland industrial products. Go for the Sonoma Jack brand, or the grand daddy of them all: Vella Jack. In particular, seek out Vella's Dry Jack. It's aged till the cheese is salty and crumbly, more like a grana than the wet jack we all know.