Cheese Head

California is the nation’s leading dairy state, with more than 50 cheese makers producing more than 130 varieties of cheese.

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Spanish missionary Father Junipero Serra introduced cheese-making to California in the late 1700s.

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David Jacks of Monterey first marketed “Monterey Jack” in 1882; California produced 168 million pounds of the cheese last year.

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The star of the California Milk Advisory Board’s “It’s the Cheese” campaign is California-made Cheddar.

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In 1997, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller publicly apologized for grabbing a flight attendant after he received an unwanted serving of cheese.