Like all good Wisconsin boys, I grew up with cheese in all its glory: melted in sandwiches, rolled in nuts and port wine or gooey and stinky with no garnish at all. If you asked me about the state of Western cheese in China 10 years ago, I would have laughed in your face. To put it bluntly, cheese had no status. With a fair percentage of Chinese people lactose intolerant and a staggeringly small expat population, there didn’t seem to be any reason for China to develop its own cheese industry.

Even two years ago, when I first moved back to Shanghai, the local scene hadn’t improved all that much. Since opening the restaurant, however, I have had the chance to work with a few upstanding producers who are trying to change the curdless landscape of cheese, and for that I applaud them.

Yellow Valley Cheese
First off on my list is Marc de Ruiter of Shanxi’s Yellow Valley Cheese. The company follows fair trade principles, their milk is tested, the handmade cheese is lovingly aged and their product is as good as their story. They do a lot of great goudas but my favorite remains their classic version. It melts well in sandwiches (one of my benchmark tests) and is a great mac and cheese base.

Solo Latte
I am also a fan of current media darling KJ (sololatte1@gmail.com or call her on 136 6153 1657) and her work with mozzarella. Her operation, Solo Latte, is small, but in my opinion that’s usually a good thing and the quality speaks for itself. Her burrata, cutely nicknamed xiaolongbao cheese, is especially good. It oozes with shredded mozzarella and gorgeous cream.

Ambrosia
Ambrosia out of Songjiang, also produces a range of cheeses that are really starting to show. While I do admit that I generally favor their other dairy products (the Greek yogurt is a winner) I have had a great time with their asiago and flavored havartis.

Le Fromager de Pekin
Another new and exciting domestic cheesemaker is Liu Yang of Le Fromager de Pekin. Liu discovered artisanal French cheese while in France, and it made such an impression that he later took a course in traditional cheesemaking and turned it into his business. His catalogue is ambitious, with different animal milks, both pasteurized and raw, and a multitude of styles. I was most impressed with his crottin and Beijing blue, both of which are going on my menu.

Are these cheeses world class yet? No. But what these stories give me is a sense of optimism in this emerging market. These people are throwing their fortunes into a market dominated by imports, buoyed only by their commitment to quality. I salute them and will support them however I can.

When Austin Hu isn't busy writing City Weekend's The Dish blog, he runs things over at Madison. Check out more of his articles here.