The Best Cheese on Earth

Rudy won my heart. He deserved a video commemorating his work. (Also, to be clear, the web is from time in prison, not white nationalism - nobody is a saint but that doesn't make them demons)

Sorry for the upload delays, Kata and I are on the road again and it's hard to both film and edit at the same time. One more from the Azores, and it'll be huge. Probably our largest video of all time, even.

Hope you get a chance to try Sao Jorge cheese someday. It truly was magnificent.

This video was made possible thanks to our incredible Patreon subscribers: &pointer, Aaron Jennings, adam lenk, AJ, Akasha Yi, Alan Camolinga, Alex boneck, Alex Papageorgiou, Alex Ross, Alex The Magical Cat, Alexander Lee, Alexander Reilly, Alf Einar Solberg, Alice LWatson, Allmightydregs, Almighty Bidoof, Amal Isaac, Ammobunny, Andrew, Andrew Beals, Andrew Larson, Anina Shaorandra, Anthony Ascencio, Aqeel Fassuhudeen, Arsalan N, Atsushi, Audrey Brown, Austin Cousineau, bajr, BattleGoat Studios, Ben Hewitson, Ben West, Benkei Paczek, Blacksun, BlobyTwo, Bob Dai, Bradley Brown, Brenna and Peter, Brian ONeel, Calvin McAnarney, Carl Bodnaruk, Catherine Berry, Chien Lu Anderman, Chris Ferguson, Christopher Perrin-Porzondek, Christopher Simpkins, Cody Belichesky, Cody Schneider, Cole Skelton, Colin Miskowitz, CollapsingHrungDisaster, Colton Creasey, Cullen McFater, Curtis Shimamoto, Dan Nottingham, Daniel Sierra Matus, Daniel Tyler, David Badilotti, David James McConnell, Douglas Danger Manley, duckin, Dustin Sysko, Dykam, Edward Sykes, Einar Holmedal, Elsilan, Emma, Eric Floehr, Eugene Pakhomov, Evan, f1r3w4rr10r, fadingnebula, fatsaxman, feo, Gabe S, Ggamefreak22, Gilberto Hart, Giulian Fava, Graeme, Gregory Kintz, Hollis Davis, Igor Stavchanskiy, J Neko, Jake Bryant, Jake Capoun, Jakob Mynster Blüdnikow, Jakob Ruder, Jan Langguth, Jan Vilhuber, jannes Dirks, Jason, Jean, Jeffery Konowal, Jeremy Impson, Jeremy Wheelis, Jesse Smith, Jessica Mayberry, Jesus Christ, joanne kokol, Joe Brown, John Cline, John Goff, Jonathan Gerry, Jonathan Lonowski, Joseph King, Josh Hoppes, Joshua Clarke, Juan Coronado, Julia, Julian Fiander, Julian Fong, Justin Thomson, JustRus, Kameron Stroud, Karol Pilat, Kenny Coulter, Kush Patel, Kyle Hofer, L W, Lane & Kate Seppala, larry82, Lars Hjort Christensen, Lars Sturm, Lexi, Liam Gilles, Lilith Berkana De' Anu, Lillian Mark, Lorentz, Louis Lenders, Lukas Jackowski, luketd, Mad Sumac, Marc Anderson, Martin Green, Matt, Matt Keller, Matthew Barrett, Matthew Roche, Max Poley, Melanie Sumner, Michael, Michael Abernathy, Michael Amesse, Michael S, Miguel Martínez Chapa, Mike Frysinger, Mondoria, Mrburgerdon, Ms Tek, Muncorn, MysticCobra, Nancy Reid, Nicholas Kraabel, NiordSir, NM, Noah Hawkes, Nuno Balbona Perez, Oliver Frommeier, Oliver 'Kannik' Bollmann, Ollie b, Omar A., Pablo D Lopez, Pablo Rodriguez, Patrick Holdsworth, Paul Estella, Paul Hui, Peter Bjorvand, Peter Gravelle, Petr Doležal, Pjotr Bekkering, Pranav Maddula, Ricardo Machado, Rich Saber, Robert Velten, Rocky Yip, Roger L. Basler de Roca, Roger Wu, Ron Warris, Ronen Finegold, Ryan Breaker, Sabolc Jut, Sam Collins, Samuel Reed, Saul, Scott Pressman, Scotty From Marketing, Sean Dennis, Sean McCool, Sergi Rincon, Shawn Wang Williams, Shikyo_The_Dragon, Shivan, SilliusSodus, Simen Thoresen, Simon Bohnen, smaz ruby, Space_Chickun, Sriram Govindarajan, Stephen Bourne, Steve Sick, Steve Williamson, Svein Ove Aas, Tedd, Theo Davis, Thomas, Thomas Paris, Thornton, Tim Barrett, Tim Dahl, Traxys, Ubikwitus, Varun Perumal, Vasserot, Viktor Lundell, Vitali Perchonok, wandering3ngineer, Wes Mills, Whitefang, Will Mullins, Wu Jim, Xellos, Zach Preston, Zaratan, Zoltán Ulrich, and ZZ. We love you guys!

Thanks for watching! You're clearly one of the good ones.

[Wesyan]

Born too late to create a small Portuguese society of cheesemakers in a small island in the Atlantic
Born too early to create a small Portuguese society of cheesemakers in a small moon of the solar system

[pnf]

As a Torontonian I'm fortunate to live amongst tens of thousands of Azoreans that have settled here over the last 50 yrs or more. I'm familiar with Sao Jorge cheese -- it's a spicier, tangier, hard-cheese and I love it! So cool to see the heritage of the cheese in the men like Rudy.

[TagusMan]

My island. It's mine! Got some of that Queijo de São Jorge in my fridge right now. No cheese like it. What I didn't know until recently was that São Jorge was known as the islamd of wine long before it became the island of cheese. The vines were wiped out by disease and never made a comeback. Then the cheese took over.

Happiest cows on Earth, the Azores. Even heard of a farmer who soothes his cows with the Beatles.

And as a descendant of old Van der Haagen myself, I salute you with the family motto. .. Panem, Caseum et Vinum!

[freelancepearkakkoka]

"he wasn't socially conditioned to talk about himself."

as an introvert i love this so much, it's such a nice way of looking at pretty much anyone who may be shy or otherwise quiet.

[michaelcherry]

I think the world could do with a few more Rudys. Thank you for introducing us to this one (and his beautiful daughters, of course!)

[EnergiaPV.RuiAzevedo]

Being for so long away from home, it was wonderful to watch some familiar faces! My mother works at the factory, my brother also works at the factory and my sister have a small herd of cows that produce fine milk to make one of the jewels that we produce in São Jorge.

Proud of being Azorean!

Thank you very much for creating such a beautiful content!

[mygetawayart]

The Azores are absolutely one of the most interesting and unique corners of Europe because they're literally on a world of their own and where they weren't blessed with lots of land, they made up for in quality of their products.

[garygreen]

Here in New Zealand our country also has been built upon by the Dairy industry for generations now, though nowhere near as long as the Azores. I like this video, in New Zealand we would say you can taste the love, dedication and skill of the people who made it. I really like how you focus on Rudy, the dairy farmer, the essential individual as the focus of the source of the best of humanity

[alext.]

"The best thing this world ever produces is men like Rudy". A wonderful, wonderful video about something otherwise so obscure, I might never had heard of it. But thanks to you, I have. I'm gonna get me some of Rudy's cheese.

[RaichuKFM]

This was a really nice video. I'm glad you made and shared this, and I'm glad Rudy and all the others participated to let you tell it. Especially the cows.

[whyjnot]

I truly respect it when people simply enjoy what they do and love to show it to people who are interested. Whatever else I think about a person, that always gets respect from me.

[byergo]

You have a real gift for making these videos. Thank you!

[kurtdunbar]

Tomorrow my pilgrimage to find São Jorge cheese begins. Thanks for a another wonderful story.

[karpatil]

Cheers from Hungary Evan. I hope you'll have a great time here. This series about the Azores is something really special. Thank you as always for video :)

[SidMajors]

As a cityboi, I worked and lived on multiple cow farms in the Netherlands. And learned to really respect the level of work that goes into our food. Including the people.
This was really interesting to hear to me. Curious how the world works sometimes. Thank you ♥

[MrBigCookieCrumble]

"The best this world ever produces are men like Rudy"
Amen!
I love these kinds of videos where you get to see NORMAL people, you can see their struggles in the wrinkles on their face, makes my heart warm.

[boycy]

What the hell, I randomly bought my first Sao Jorge this week and happened to be eating some when I watched this! 😂
It *is* a damn nice cheese, very interesting and complex flavour. Great to learn more about its heritage

[veronicahutchinson]

My dad's family is from Azores mostly Sao Miguel a few from Sao Jorge, they came to Ca in the late 1800s and had dairies :) I love these videos as they give me a visual on places I have read about.

[gadguard]

You're a treasure. I love your little documentaries.

[BRBTechTalk]

Rare Earth credits are always entertaining, a story about the story. I love them ❤