The pandemic gave us a new variety of cheese. How this new variety came about offers us a Lesson Found on innovation.

Producing French munster is a laborious process that requires regular brine washings for a month or longer.  (French munster is not to be confused with its less pungent American cousin, muenster cheese.)  During France’s first lockdown, one farmer neglected to keep up with this process for 60 wheels of cheese.  When he returned four weeks later, the cheese looked and tasted different.  The farmer noted that the cheese had “taken the flora from the cave to give a taste we have never had before.” Seeing an opportunity, the farmer is selling the cheese (more…)