To combat price objections, artisan cheese expert Adam Moskowitz reframes his product not as expensive, but as valuable. The superior flavor-per-bite of quality cheese provides more intrinsic value than cheaper, mass-market alternatives that primarily offer a generic 'creamy' texture.

Whey, once a low-value byproduct of cheesemaking that was often fed to pigs or spread on fields, is now a highly profitable product. Modern cheese plants are designed specifically to harvest and process whey into high-demand whey protein isolates, fundamentally changing the business model of cheese production.

Dylan Field defines taste not as an innate gift but as a point of view developed through a repeatable process. It involves experiencing something, asking "why do I like or dislike this?", and understanding the canon that led to its creation. This allows you to build a framework for judgment.

Contrary to the narrative of decline, overall U.S. dairy consumption per capita is at its highest level in 40 years. While fluid milk consumption has dropped, this is more than offset by the booming popularity of value-added products like cheese, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese.

Despite shelves stocked with heirloom tomatoes and exotic grains, our core food supply is dangerously uniform. For example, 90% of U.S. milk comes from a single cow breed descended from just two bulls, and half of all calories consumed globally come from just three grasses.

The universal appeal of cheese could be linked to our limbic system, which stores memory and smell. Because milk is our first food memory, cheese—a concentrated milk product—may tap into this primal, positive association from infancy, explaining its powerful emotional resonance.

The perception of cultural stagnation is flawed. While mainstream blockbusters may be worse, the overall quality and variety of culture (e.g., global cinema) is stronger than ever. Pundits miss this because quality has shifted from a shared monoculture to numerous high-quality niches that require active discovery.

In a culture obsessed with hyperbolic "best of" lists, David Chang advises consumers to focus on supporting local businesses that are simply "good." He argues that "good's pretty goddamn amazing" and that the survival of these neighborhood establishments is more important than constantly chasing elite experiences.

David Chang explains that while food service is inherently unscalable, high-end, exclusive dining experiences are scaling. The scarcity, amplified by social media, creates massive demand and "cultural currency," allowing these unique businesses to expand and increase prices, creating a barbell effect in the market.