Teleme cheese

Teleme is an American semi-soft cheese originating from the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Influenced by the cheese made by Greek immigrants in California, although the origins of which historically reach back to the nomadic Yoruk/Turkmen Turkic people who have roamed the mountains and plateaus of southern and southeastern Turkey, and is still produced in the traditional method by goat herders as a major part of their sustenance when they are out on the mountains; from fresh, warm goat's milk acidified and coagulated with totally natural ingredients foraged there and then, one of which is the sap/milk of the "fig" fruit,[1] Teleme cheese was invented by Serafino Iacono before World War II. The first manufacturing facility was in Tomales, California.[2] The name of the company that made the cheese was New Sonoma Creamery.

The cheese was sold under the brand name of "Tomales Bay Teleme Cheese". The building in Tomales in which the first Teleme was commercially produced is still standing to this day. In later years the manufacturing was moved south to Los Banos, California. New Sonoma Creamery shut down operations in the late 1960s.

In later years, Teleme cheese returned to the market under the guidance of Peluso Cheese Company with the Peluso's "Tomales Bay Teleme" label.[3] Owner Frank Peluso managed the production of Teleme cheese for the Iacono family for many years.[4] It is now branded under the names "Peluso's Teleme Cheese" and "Peluso's Tomales Bay Teleme," and is still manufactured in Los Banos.