The first reindeer I found in Lapland. Dear Friends and Family, Catching a reindeer is no easy task—nor is gripping one by its furry antlers… If you’d like to read more, check out the following link about searching for reindeer cheese in the Arctic (or see below) : https://culturecheesemag.com/ruminations/hoofing-it-reindeer-cheese Many thanks to Culture Cheese Magazine for their interest in my cheese travels and for their thoughtful editing that pulled my writing together. Much love, Linnea My flight from Oslo to Alta, Norway. Alta, Norway, situated above the Arctic Circle, is located in Lapl ..read more

Dear Friends and Family, Profession Fromager, France’s leading cheese industry journal, picked up my story and I am delighted to share it with you here —  racontée en français. Je voudrais remercier Débora Pereira et Arnaud Sperat-Czar pour l’occasion de partager (un peu) mes expériences avec le monde francophone. Linnea   ..read more

Dear Friends and Family, A few weeks ago, the Valley News asked me to review the first Oxford Companion to Cheese, a masterful reference guide that explores, as I did, the multiple dimensions (both familiar and arcane) in which human beings interact with cheese around the world. This morning, the paper ran my review. I greatly enjoyed working with features editor Alex Hanson and I am pleased to share the article (and personal photos) with you here. http://www.vnews.com/Oxford-Companion-to-Cheese-celebrates-the-diversity-of-a-common-food-7525517 Much love, Linnea       Lanc ..read more

  Working as an ice cream judge at Norwegian dairy competition. Dear Friends and Family, I met Øystein Skjæveland , an organic ice cream maker, at Matstreif, Norway’s largest food festival and dairy competition. Several months later, he introduced himself as Editor of Gardsosten, the Norwegian Dairy Association’s biannual magazine, and requested permission to republish my stories. It is a thrill to see my work translated into Norwegian (a language I love) and to stay connected to Norwegian farmers and cheesemakers through a magazine I also love. Norway remains one of my favorite cheese co ..read more

Dear Friends and Family, I am tremendously honored by the opportunity I had to talk with one of my idols, Lynne Rosetta Kasper, and be on the same show that hosted so many other people who inspire me, like Julia Child and Michael Pollan. Tune into National Public Radio if you want to catch my most recent interview this weekend ! Or check out the following link: https://www.splendidtable.org/story/passion-for-cheesemaking-takes-a-cheese-girl-around-the-world More to come soon, Much love, Linnea   ..read more

  Nicolas and Florian show me some great hikes. Dear Friends and Family, Switzerland and fondue go together like peanut butter and jelly, Wallace and Gromit, a light and a switch. But when I picture dressing up for Halloween as this perfect, cheesy pair, I see my Swiss friends laughing or shaking their heads at me. Not only because my costume would look ridiculous, but because it would also reinforce stereotypes (like a Swiss guy with the whole shebang of suspenders, knee-high socks and a perfect yodel) and ignore so many other cheese specialties. Raclette the right way. When I ..read more

Tour of Gruyère d’alpage cave with Jean-Pierre Hani. Dear Friends and Family, While in Switzerland, all I wanted to do was immerse myself in the world of Gruyère. And not just any Gruyère: Gruyère d’alpage. A cheese so delicious, so nutty and so buttery, I dreamed of eating my way through an entire wheel, kilo by kilo. The most remarkable quality of Gruyère d’alpage, a quality that sets it apart from any regular Gruyère or Gruyère wannabe, is the way in which it is produced. As I experienced first-hand, thanks to my friendship with Jean-Pierre Hani (a Swiss dairy technician and consultant with ..read more

Dear Friends and Family, I do not read Portuguese well but am honored to share another piece about my world cheese tour. Thank you to Débora Pereira, editor of Profession Fromager, SoCheese and Sertaobras, for picking up my story and sharing it with Brazil. http://www.sertaobras.org.br/blog/2016/10/10/diario-de-uma-cheese-girl-14-meses-4-continentes-e-muito-queijo/ Many beijos, Linnea DIÁRIO DE UMA “CHEESE GIRL”: 14 MESES, 4 CONTINENTES E MUITO QUEIJO Linnea Burnham, 24 anos, ganhou em 2015 o prestigiado prêmio Watson Fellowship: 30 mil dólares para viajar o mundo explorando queijos, desde o C ..read more

Dear Friends and Family, It is not everyday that you meet a journalist who shares your passion for Norwegian cheese. I met Ragna Kronstad, head of communications for the organic food organization, Oikos, while looking for Brunost in the Aurland. I admire her writing and the curiosity that drove her to work at small dairies to better document local cheese production. I was thrilled when she asked to do a story together and am proud to share it with you now. Check out the following link or read the version below if you would like to hear my thoughts on Norwegian cheese and the people behind it ..read more

Dear Family and Friends, My passion for cheese began as a passion for home. For this reason, I am particularly honored to share the following article from my local newspaper, The Valley News. Many thanks to Alex Hanson, for pulling my story together into a beautiful narrative, and to John Happel (http://johnjhappel.com) for the stunning  photo shoot. You guys rock. Much love, Linnea Thetford Resident Travels the Globe to Study Cheesemaking  By Alex Hanson Valley News Staff Writer Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Warming up fresh milk in the yurt. Not long before she was to ..read more