American Terroir

Why does honey from the tupelo-lined banks of the Apalachicola River have a kick of cinnamon unlike any other? Why is salmon from Alaska''s Yukon River the richest in the world? Why does one underground cave in Greensboro, Vermont, produce many of the country''s most intense cheeses?

The answer is terroir (tare-WAHR), the "taste of place." Originally used by the French to describe the way local con...