But Fryer’s circus is not about animals, clowns and tightropes. The starring role here is cheese — specialty and artisan cheese — and her passion for what she calls this “living food” has guided her down a path that now leads to a commercial kitchen in Mercado San Agustín, 100 S. Avenida del Convento just west of downtown.

The journey began when Fryer was selected for an intensive cheesemonger training program at Pastoral Artisan Cheese and Bread in Chicago.

The curriculum focused on the things you’d expect in an academic immersion into the world of cheese — how cheese is made, storage and aging techniques, food safety, wine pairings and the art of tasting.

But a core part of the program was among the most important lessons for this monger-in-residency to learn, cheese care, and that is what she brings to her new Tucson business called Blu.

“Cheese is alive, and requires regular attention and care,” she told me as she discussed the importance of rotation and why it’s important to maintain a consistent 40-degree temperature and demonstrated hands-on caring techniques that “make the most out of the milk.”

Cheese care requires routine maintenance such as slicing paper-thin layers from the surface perimeter of the blocks with surgical precision, regularly re-wrapping the blocks in a special storage wrap, taking in the unique aroma of each cheese to evaluate its distinctive “nose” and tasting each cheese to ensure the intentions of the cheesemakers have been fulfilled.

Once the cheese is cared for, Fryer moves on to the other functions of Blu, assembling specialty cheese trays and gift baskets for customers, preparing for her next catering job and working with local chefs to develop custom cheese programs for their restaurants.

To keep current, Fryer is a regular fixture at American Cheese Society conferences, which can showcase more than 1,500 cheeses from around the world.

She occasionally stumbles across an “exciting find” such as a Rogue River Blue wrapped in pear brandy-soaked syrah leaves from Oregon or the Fiore di Capra Chevre from Pomerene down the road in Cochise County.

Freyer loves being a part of what she calls a “renaissance in the cheese movement.” Hail to Tucson’s Cheesemonger-in-Chief!

Contact Matt Russell, whose day job is CEO of Russell Public Communications, at mrussell@russellpublic.com. Russell is also the host of “On the Menu Live” that airs 4-5 p.m. Saturdays on KNST 97.1-FM/790-AM.