Rogue cheese makers, Toronto restaurant closures, how to be a coffee snob

• Canada’s cheese makers are concerned that as the popularity of aged cheese increases, the substandard work of amateur cheese ripeners—retailers, mostly—will damage their hard-won reputations. [Globe and Mail]

• BlogTO takes us on a photo tour of recently shuttered downtown restaurants, from old institutions (Mel’s Montreal Delicatessen in the Annex) to voguish newbies (Roncy’s Abstract Tree). No great losses here, but some mid-range neighbourhood standbys are no more. [BlogTO]

• A Toronto software engineer is on the leading edge of “aquaponics” (aquaculture plus hydroponics), having built a backyard fish-breeding facility that grows produce with recycled fish water while the fish fertilize the plants. The wheel of sustainability spins on. [Globe and Mail]

• Researchers at Philadelphia’s Monell Chemical Senses Center have discovered human taste receptors that exist solely to appreciate the oft-disputed “fifth taste.” Known as “umami,” which translates from Japanese roughly as “savoury,” this culinary G-spot detects the satisfying richness found in protein-heavy foods, like meat and cheese. [Food Navigator]

• In preparation for the Central Regional Barista Championship, to be held at the Gladstone Hotel on Sunday, FoodTV’s Elena Safronsky shares her coffee snob tips on how to judge a barista’s espresso-slinging skills. [FoodTV]