The various traditions of cheesemaking are carried on in Northern California by a dedicated group of dairy owners, who spend their days with a deep respect for the passed-down customs.

You know the joy that comes from eating cheese. Imagine how it feels to make it, from that first whiff of fresh milk to the slip of wet curds between your fingers.

Nearly 20 years after Cowgirl Creamery made its first mound of aged triple cream, three artisan cheesemakers -- the Salazars of Brentwood, the Schochs of Salinas, and Marcia Barinaga of Marshall -- are cutting their slice of a Northern California tradition as familiar as Dungeness crab.

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Photo by Patrick Tehan/Staff