Are you familiar with the origins of Parmesan cheese?

In the 17th century, Samuel Pepys buried his cheese in the ground surrounding his house, perhaps in his garden, as a way to protect a precious asset.

Parmesan cheese was and still is considered a valuable commodity. Popes gave it as gifts to royalty. Now, over five centuries later, a bank keeps a vault filled with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

This gives us a sense of how the market was, and how cheese helps make the world go ‘round…

Parmesan cheese is one topic in my latest Substack newsletter, out today! I also include pieces about climate change, a story of when I marched on Earth Day in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the ‘70s next to LSD-taking liberals as a conservative sorority girl, and how we can amplify the “good” in the world when we come together.

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