What Can You Do at Cheese 2013

Here are some suggestions for how to spend a day at Cheese:

• Don’t miss the Cheese Market in Piazza Carlo Alberto, the event’s beating heart and the first activity to open its doors in the morning. The 3,000 square meters will be packed with hundreds of Italian and international cheesemakers, displaying their products and recounting their stories and traditions. From here, cross the street to visit the Via degli Affinatori, the “street of affineurs,” in Piazza Roma, where artisan cheese-agers will be showcasing their skills in coaxing the best out of cheeses.

• Make sure you have at least one Taste Workshop booked. Choose from 38 taste-education sessions, featuring cheeses and dairy products from all over the world and offering a chance to experience a guided tasting and learn from the most highly regarded experts in the sector. Take a trip to South Africa, to hear the story of two cheesemakers who have overcome difficult climate conditions to make a product of great quality, adding value to local raw milk. Or meet Will Studd, one of the most authoritative experts on Australian cheeses, who will take you a tour around the best dairy from Down Under. If you prefer to stay in Europe, Hervé Mons, master cheesemonger and Meilleur Ouvrier de France will be illustrating how to get the best from your cheeses, leading a guided tasting across the continent, from the Swiss Alps to the Pyrenees, from Germany to Spain. Or try some of the UK’s “new old cheeses,” classics from British tradition given a new lease of life by the country’s great cheesemakers, led by experts from Neal’s Yard Dairy, London’s best affineur.

• If you’re ready to take a break, visit the Literary Café in the Slow Food Editore courtyard, the perfect place to relax and enjoy artisanal beer tastings, book presentations and live music. Or pick up a wine glass and some vouchers and tour the Great Hall of Cheese and the Enoteca, where you can put together your own tasting from 150 different cheese varieties and a selection of 800 wines by the glass.

• For more learning (and tasting!) try the Master of Food courses, to discover the cheeses and traditions of Belgium, Great Britain and Italy: Three journeys designed to introduce the places and their typical cheeses, all paired with wines and artisanal beers.

• Dinner options include the many Dinner Dates, which give you a chance to visit some of the best local restaurants and rediscover long-forgotten dishes, with menus inspired by cooking without waste. Chefs this year include big names like Davide Palluda from L’Enoteca in Canale and Enrico Crippa of Piazza Duomo in Alba and a guest of honor from the UK, Jeremy Lee from Quo Vadis in Soho, London. Alternatively, take the quick and easy (but equally tasty) option of trying out some of the Street Food stands, offering typical regional specialties that are fast, delicious and designed to be eaten with the hands.

• Finally, bring the night to a close with one of the concerts and shows organized on the outdoor stage in Piazza Caduti per la Libertà.