Teaneck—The Cheese Guy, also known as Brent Delman of Yonkers, NY, recently visited Teaneck for a tasting and demonstration of sev­eral of his Italian cheeses at Glatt Express. His products are wide­ly available in Bergen County, since they’re also carried at Cedar Mar­ket, Ma’adan, Grand & Essex, Tenafly Gourmet Farms, as well as Shoprite and Fairway Markets in Paramus. They are soon to be offered in Whole Foods stores around the region.

From crowd favorites like fresh and creamy mozzarella, hard and sharp Pecorino Romano, blue cheese, crumbly feta, and classic Colby and cheddar, Delman also produces Argentine cheeses such as Edam and, unheard of in the kosher American marketplace, Italian spe­cialty cheeses like Formaggio Mar­zolino, Bastardo Della Grappa, and Montaggio. The large majority of the Cheese Guy’s cheeses are certified under the OU, and some are also Cholov Yisroel.

While Delman’s cheese gener­ally arrives “green” or unaged at his aging cellar at the Cheese Guy’s fa­cility in Yonkers, the cheese itself is produced at different farms and creameries in New York, Vermont, Ohio, Italy, and Argentina. “I go out and have the facilities kashered for the production and am part of the production process. I am out there making the cheese with the cheese maker,” he said. “I give them my reci­pe and my formula and ingredients. I work in cooperation with some of the best cheese makers in the world,” Delman added.

Delman explained that his gen­eral cheese-making philosophy, which ties in to his general life phi­losophy, is geared toward a strong attention to detail. “I focus on ad­hering to traditional methods as op­posed to mass production. I value things that are handcrafted, in small batches, with more attention paid to quality,” Delman said.

Delman explained that tradition­al, artisanal methods of cheese mak­ing also are a big part of who he is, and the traditions of Yiddishkeit were also a big draw as part of his re­turn to Jewish tradition. “It’s my life­style and my business practice. Re­turn to tradition has been a big part of my life,” he said. “Knowing that we have such a rich tradition and rich heritage, I have become more tradi­tional, for instance in keeping a ko­sher home,” he said. It is for that rea­son that Delman wants his cheeses to be certified under the highest lev­el of kashruth available. “I consult with the OU on a regular basis on how to produce new and exciting cheeses,” he added.

Delman has carved out a niche not just with the kosher consum­er, but also with vegetarians, glu­ten-free adherents, ethical eaters, and advocates of sustainable ag­ricultural practices. He estimat­ed that probably 50% of his cus­tomers are not buying the cheese because it’s kosher. “People want to know where their food comes from. They want to know the in­gredients. Every batch I over­see in one way or another. I am intimately involved with every cheese that goes into my label or is produced under my label,” he said. “There’s an actual person creating the product you’re eat­ing. It’s not a mass-manufactured process,” he added

Speaking by phone to JLBC from his packaging facility, he re­ported he was at that moment looking at how his parmesan was being grated, because that is a key part of the process that affects the taste and presentation of the cheese to the public. “I think a lot has been lost in our mass-pro­duced, efficient, profit-driven so­ciety,” Delman said.

Cheese, Delman said, takes on different forms based on where the milk comes from and how the ani­mals are treated. He noted that this can also mean that every batch of cheese can be different; his cheeses are not necessarily uniform in taste. “There is a compromise between cheese making and artisan food movements, between science and art. Artisan cheese, made complete­ly by hand, leads to larger variances. What’s fun about the artisan move­ment is that it’s like creating a paint­ing. Can someone ever really dupli­cate a painting?” he asked.

Delman will be teaching a cheese education class and tast­ing as part of the Center for Ko­sher Culinary Arts’ summer pro­gram, taking place at the Ramaz School in Manhattan (114 E. 85th Street), on August 18, from 7–9 p.m. The cost is $50. To sign up, visit http://www.kosherculinar­yarts.com/. Learn more about the Cheese Guy and his cheeses at http://www.thecheeseguy.com.

By Elizabeth Kratz