Welcome ladies and gentleman to the main event of the week! In the category of Culinary Boxing here at Chef’s Mandala, we have weighing in at 12 liters from cows, sheep and goats everywhere, please welcome raw milk!  His opponent, also weighing in at a slightly warmer 12 liters, please welcome pasteurized milk!

LET’S GET READY TO RRRRR…….HAVE A SPIRITED DEBATE ON FOOD!!!

In the Red Corner – RAW MILK CHEESE

Raw milk might share the same mother as the current champ pasteurized milk.  But that doesn’t mean these two fighter’s are equally as loved when it comes to making a wheel of cheese!  Furthermore fans of raw milk in general claim it reduces allergies, is great for your skin, helps prevent food poisoning and is more nutritious.  Critics of our challenger say that pasteurization kills dangerous pathogens.  And while statistically only a small percentage of milk is contaminated, chances are sooner or later you’ll be exposed.  With modern quality controls, it is easy to forget about the wave of cow tuberculosis that killed over 50,000 people in Europe and the States in the early 20th century.  But fans retort that raw milk is healthier for the lactose intolerant.  It naturally contains bacteria (destroyed during pasteurization) that consumes sugar (lactose) making digestion easier.

In the Blue Corner – PASTEURIZED MILK CHEESE

The godfather of pasteurization, Louis Pasteur, invented the process of heating milk to over 161 Farenheit (72 degrees Celsius) for several seconds.  This kills the harmful bacteria, yeast and mold that are fatal to humans.  Critics argue that you are “burning the milk.”  Besides fundamentally changing the flavor, pasteurization has a small, negative impact on the vitamins found in dairy.  However fans point out that milk is often fortified, rendering these negative effects moot.  Most of the cheese made throughout the world today is from pasteurized dairy.  Cheese fanatics (for example all of France) though claim that our challenger is the only choice when it comes to making the best fromage in the world.  Former U.K. heavyweight cheese maker Colin Hall once said “If you give a genius cheese maker pasteurized milk, and an idiot raw milk, the genius will win every time.”

FIGHT!!!

• The Play-By-Play

Both fighters come out of their corners looking ready to murder someone.  The referee checks their gloves thoroughly, removing several rolls of quarters and a few razor blades from each boxer.  Yep boys and girls, it’s that kind of fight.  All that’s missing are the D cell batteries and this could be a Rangers – Islanders hockey game.

AND THE WINNER IS….

Neither.  The use of pasteurized or raw milk in the art of cheese making is just one of a number of variables that combine to produce a beautiful fromage.  Yes, there is a lot of unfair discrimination against raw milk cheeses.  Unfortunately this makes them both harder to make, and more in demand.  But there are some crappy raw milk and brilliant pasteurized cheeses available all over the world as well.