Last week the editor of Culture magazine, a periodical devoted to cheese, asked me to write a feature about a coming issue’s centerfold cheese. (Instead of a naked lady, Culture features a photo of a cheese in the center of each issue, often with a slice removed to make your mouth water at its unctuous interior.) I jumped on the opportunity. Besides the money, it meant I’d get to travel to Oregon’s Rogue River valley and spend the night in a restored Airstream, then pass the next day helping to milk Nigerian dwarf goats — for real! — and learn about the craft of making artisan goat cheese.

The problem was this: besides being an enthusiastic cheese consumer, I don’t know the first thing about making cheese. I bought an issue of the magazine to get my feet wet and waded into a world of rennet, cure times, culture, and curds. The reviews of cheeses mention balance, texture, and accompanying food and wine. Then, at once, I knew I could do it. Thanks to perfume, I can examine quality, structure, and suitability. I may not yet know the technicalities of making cheese, but my enthusiasm for perfume has given me the ability to fully appreciate a whole menu of sensory experiences…

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