While standing in the dazzling fluorescence of the modern supermarket, one can spot an astounding array of culinary wonders: plump strawberries nestled in plastic cartons, waxy apples as crisp in September as in April and, on the refrigerated shelves in the back, a staggering assortment of cheeses. There’s crumbly, saline feta stored in squat disposable tubs; orange-tinged cheddar slices, ranging from mild to sharp, in slim plastic sleeves; and selection upon selection of uniformly grated and shredded varieties, each hermetically encased in crinkling, resealable bags.

The contemporary supermarket is, in many ways, a marvel of modern science fiction. Thanks to a sprawling global supply chain, refrigerated cargo ships, controlled-environment greenhouses and the introduction of artificial ripening techniques, American shoppers have gradually become untethered from the natural cycles of the earth.

As we push carts through these air-conditioned aisles, it’s easy to forget the usual constraints of time and geography — and to overlook that good cheese, like apples or strawberries, is still very much a seasonal product (though to fully appreciate that, you might have to back away from the supermarket dairy section).

Related

While the exact origins of cheesemaking remain shrouded in mystery, its practice is inextricably linked to the domestication of milk-producing animals, primarily sheep — a process that, according to the National Historic Cheesemaking Center in Monroe, Wisconsin, began 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. Some historians and archaeologists suggest that cheese may have been discovered by accident;........

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