Max McCalman

Max McCalman - Maître Fromager & Auteur

Prominent member of the American Cheese Society. As a sommelier he brings out the best in both wine and cheese. He has also written several books about cheese.

"Every day, I discover new things about cheese"
The basis for my cheese addiction was laid at age two. Cheese was a "forbidden fruit" that I – sitting on my mother's knee – was rarely allowed to touch. Later, when we moved to Brazil for many years, I hit another dry spell. Dairy products are strongly discouraged there. It broke my heart. Once I returned, I started out in the hotel business and quickly mastered the art of fine dining. I went on to become Sommelier, Maitre d’Hotel, and later General Manager, but my fondness for cheese only increased. I went for it and became the first full-time fromager. I was able to conserve cheese in a moisture-controlled "cave." This brought the cheese culture in the United States to a whole new dimension. 

"There are whole hordes of people who think cheese is bad for you"
I don't regret for a minute choosing cheese as a career—as if it even was a choice. Cheese just had to be. What drives me – as an author, as president of the American Cheese Society, or as Maitre Fromager – are the falsehoods about cheese. It supposedly makes you fat, so you should eat as little of it as possible. And if you have to have it, it "has to be" low-fat, low-salt, or pasteurized. These are misconceptions that I'm eager to refute through publicity. I have already felt the consequences of this. When entering the Guilde des Fromager, I thought it would be an intimate introduction, but it turned out to be a big initiation gala. My second book was awarded a prestigious prize while I was giving a lecture elsewhere, and I certainly didn’t see the moment coming when my third book was voted the world's best cheese book. Everything is about complete dedication. It’s fun! That’s also what I admire so much about BOSKA. Every cheese deserves a special treat. I see diversity and the safeguarding of the cheesemaking culture as my greatest challenges. And – one more thing – my cheese app is another step in that direction.

Max McCalman, Maître Fromager | www.max-mccalman.com