WOODBURY — This spring brought Nonnewaug students a series of observance periods with Lent and Ramadan, and that got us to thinking: What’s something that we as a campus collectively missed the most?
Cheese.
A gooey, melty, rich staple in every good American diet, cheese is found in almost every dish. For breakfast with some eggs, for lunch in a sandwich, for dinner over pasta, or paired with crackers for a midday snack, cheese is everywhere and is impossible to avoid.
Some of the most popular cheeses in the United States are mozzarella, Swiss, parmesan, cheddar, and American, but which of these most popular is the crowd favorite?
Nonnewaug cheese enthusiasts debate which of the five is the biggest cheese.
Mozzarella: A mild, mellow classic that everyone is crazy for. (Except lactose intolerants.)
“That stuff hits in the summer,” says sophomore cheese lover Indy Kimball. “When you make a caprese and cut up tomatoes and put them in the bowl with some oil and salt and pepper, oh it’s so good. That is a nine out of 10.”
A caprese salad appears to be a popular form mozzarella takes amongst Nonnewaug students.
“Oooh, I love mozzarella,” says freshman Gianna Perugini. “Mozzarella with tomatoes and basil and olives over the summer is so good. It’s a 10 out of 10.”
However, cheese expert and culinary teacher John Dominello critiques mozzarella as bland and poorly textured.
“I love mozzarella but,” Dominello says, “when I eat pizza, I eat it with just a little bit of grated parmesan on it because regular mozzarella that we are traditionally used to, to me, is kind of tasteless and rubbery.”
“If I’m going to have mozzarella on something, it has to be real mozzarella,” Dominello continues. “In Italy, most mozzarella is made with buffalo milk. If I’m in the store and I see they have buffalo mozzarella, it’s even better.”
Swiss: Hit or miss? Daring, controversial, and full of holes.
“It’s alright,” Perugini says. “I don’t see why the mice like it so much, but I kind of like it I guess. It gets a five out of 10.”
Many find it kind of tasteless and rather boring.
“There’s not enough flavor in Swiss cheese,” says freshman Gianna Saxton. “And I don’t like the holes in it. It grosses me out.”
Some, however, have a strong hatred for the variant.
“Why does it have holes?” Kimball says. “First off, if I’m paying for some cheese, I better be getting a discounted version. If you’re going to give me full price cheese, you better give me a good slice with no holes in it. Second, why does it taste like it just came out of the dirt? And the smell? It doesn’t even smell like cheese.”
However, experts take a more positive stance on Swiss.
“I love Swiss cheese,” Dominello says. “It has to be real, however. The stronger and sharper, the better. If it’s a real true gruyere from France or Switzerland, I love it.”
Parmesan: Aged, grated, or straight off of the wheel, parm is a win and a perfect topping to any dish.
“Eh, it’s okay,” says Kimball. “I mean, it’s good on pasta. It’s probably a two out of 10. I mean, it’s clumpy. If it sits around too long, the moisture makes it clumpy.”
While some dislike the texture, some believe it’s a solid nomination for the title of the big cheese.
“It’s good on pasta,” Perugini says. “It’s good on meatball subs as well. And it’s good as an extra layer on pizza. It’s a solid seven and a half out of 10.”
Some have the ability to just eat it straight.
“I could eat a whole wheel,” junior Joshua Spataro says. “Give me a couple hours and a big old wheel and I could finish it off.”
Some, like Dominello, prefer their parmesan under very specific conditions and backgrounds.
“Parmesan that’s not refrigerated in the grocery store that’s in shaker containers has its place in our society because it’s affordable,” Dominello says. “If you buy a higher quality one, it’s better. I don’t want to cheese shame anyone, but some of the cheaper ones are like sawdust.”
“However,” Dominello continues, “The best parmesan cheese that I get is from La Molisana sausage shop in Waterbury. I ask for a pound and they go in the back room and they have a big grater and they grind it fresh. That’s real parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese really has to come from Parma. Otherwise it’s not real, it’s just parmesan named cheese.”
Cheddar: Ordinary, yet a safe, familiar, commonly orange choice.
“The sharper the better,” Dominello says. “Cheddar from Wisconsin or Vermont are my favorites. I’m partial to Vermont cheddar cheese because I used to go up to Vermont with my dad all the time. But it has to be white. Yellow cheddar cheese is make believe.”
Some students, however, don’t care about the quality or the sharpness. Cheddar cheese is cheddar cheese.
“When I tell you, you mix some cheddar into some macaroni,” Kimball says. “Oh! It’s the best out there. You know, If I’m chilling in the fridge one day and I see a bag of cheddar. Mmm! I’m munching on that. Especially if it’s right off of the block. I’d rate it an eight out of 10.”
Cheddar is a common snack food, as well.
“I could eat a whole block of cheddar as well,” Spataro says. “A couple minutes and I could polish it off. There’s nothing like cheese.”
However, there is a part of the Nonnewaug population against popular opinion in terms of cheddar cheese.
“See, I’m not the biggest fan of cheddar,” Perugini says. “Like, it’s alright but I don’t like it on mac and cheese.”
American: For the little kids at heart who’s only forms of cheese intake are from a plastic sleeve.
“I like American cheese,” says Perugini. “It’s good with sandwiches. It’s a seven and a half out of 10. It’s not my go to, but it’s still good.”
A sandwich also tends to be the most popular location of American.
“American is the most common cheese people use for sandwiches and such,” Saxton says. “I love American cheese. I like to make cheese and ham wraps and I also like to put it on hamburgers. But not on mac and cheese. That would be gross.”
American is popular with dogs, as well as Nonnewaug students and staff.
“It’s so good,” Kimball says. “If you make grilled cheese with American and then you dip that in some tomato soup it’s really good. And it’s the only way my dog will take her meds. We have to give her cheese.”
Yet again, cheese expert Dominello reaffirms that if it’s not real, he doesn’t want it.
“American cheese is a minus 10 because it’s not cheese,” Dominello says. “It’s processed food. And anybody that thinks it’s cheese is fooling themselves. When they eat it, they’re eating processed food. They should be eating the real stuff.”
Whichever variant of cheese one likes the most, this favorite dairy product is never leaving the minds of Nonnewaug students and staff.
“I love cheese,” Kimball says. “I could never live without it.”
This piece is an opinion piece written by Katie Savulak ’26.
