The world of cheese is a wonderful thing, and in this case, it’s vegan too hehe. We love our Cheese strains here at High Grade Aid; we go way, way back. Whenever we have the chance, we try to acquire some cheese, like fine connoisseurs of cannabis. There are so many kinds of cheese strains, from Blue Cheese to the “big” Cheese itself, one has to wonder just where this classic strain came from. Let’s dive into a History of Cheese.
Where does Cheese come from?
Just where does Cheese come from? Cheese is a European strain who’s parents were bred by a breeder named Sam the Skunkman, circa sometime in the early 1980’s. Sam is accredited to be the pioneer of Skunk #1, the original Skunk strain to dominate world markets, and so many people’s bowls. Originally from California, Sam the Skunkman took his craft to the Netherlands, where he introduced his Skunk #1 to the Dutch, and eventually to the rest of the world.[1] There is, however, some speculation over Sam’s credibility as the true Skunkman, but in regards to Cheese, that is neither here nor there. He took the strain to Europe, and there it took roots to become one of the world’s favorite ways to get high. [2]
Sam’s Skunk was a big hit in Europe, but its pungent smell brought problems to many growers who took on Sam’s strain; it was too stinky! Landlords brought the ban hammer down on growers who were being reported for “obscene” smells coming from their quarters, and the complaints piled up for the Skunkman.
Over time and with careful tinkering, Sam eventually bred out the noxious stank, for a more mild, sweet taste, and subtle aroma. Little did Sam know that he was actually creating the catalyst for the first Cheese. Sam went on to start his own seed company in the Netherlands, and his Skunk #1 was eventually sold and distributed by several other seed companies as things moved forward into the future of the cannabis industry.
What happened next?
Sometime in the early 90’s a pack of Skunk #1 seeds from either Sacred Seed Co. or Sensi Seeds found its way to Southeast England, into the hands of a young man who would go on to find that he had a magic bean in his possession. He went on to pop his beans, only to find out that one of his Skunks had a shtanky smell like no other; it smelled like cheese! By around 95′, this dank, heavy yielder found its way to an underground community in Luton, England that was called the Exodus Collective, a group of conscious, like minded individuals, who organized local parties and events by word of mouth in pubs and clubs, that eventually grew over time from 150 to 10,000 in attendance. Talk about massive parties!
The Exodus Collective went on to become world renown for their social activism and wicked parties, but also for their cut of Cheese, which is what most people think of when they think of Cheese. Unfortunately, the original grower’s identity still remains unknown, so many accredit Cheese to those within the Collective, who would often give cuts of Cheese to their friends as gifts. Exodus is responsible for Cheese making as big of a splash in the world as it did, becoming one of the most sought after strains out there for some time. [3]
What kinds of Cheeses are available?
Fast forward to present day, and there are so many different kinds of cheese strains that are available for growers to take advantage of, new phenos being worked on right now. We have a fire batch of Cheese at the moment who has Exodus roots, and if you’re feeling cheesy, you can check that out here.
In the past we have worked with and definitely hope to see again; Space Cheese, Super Silver Cheese, Cheese Dream, OG Cheese, Blue Cheese, and Strawberry Cheesecake. Told’ you we like our Cheese, but that’s not nearly the end of it. Leafly lists 58 different Cheese strains, while Seedfinder, a European tool to search through seed vendors, lists 183 different variations of cheese. Keep in mind, these are only strains that are from popular seed banks and well known growers, and that there could be countless more personal varieties the world will never see, hiding behind closed grow tents, and hidden away in mason jars. Most breeder’s seeds don’t make it to seed banks. They either stay in closed circles, or wind up being distributed on lesser known platforms and websites.
In the end very few of these cuts make it into dispensary level production for the average consumer, but sometimes they do, and when that time comes, we celebrate. If you are ever to come across a strain with a name you aren’t familiar with, rejoice, as it is one of those types of strains that don’t always come walking in the door, ready to introduce itself as a nonviolent alien from the cannabis realm.
Cool Links
1) Cannabis History: The Origins of Skunk
2) David Watson AKA King of Snitchcraft
3) The Exodus Collective: History of UK Cheese