Cheese is a food derived from the milk of animals such as cows, goats, sheep, and buffalo. Cheesemaking requires the separation of the milk into solids (curd) and liquids (whey). The most common method sours the milk and adds rennet. The souring can be done with a simple acid, e.g., vinegar, or with the use of starter bacteria. Rennet, is a complex of enzymes found in the stomach lining of animals such as cows. By lowering the acidity of the curdling process, rennet improves the performance of the starter bacteria. These improvements create different tastes and textures. The starter bacteria used in Swiss Emmental release carbon dioxide during the process, which creates the famous holes.
Since its creation predates history, no one knows the identity of the first cheesemakers. One popular theory is that cheese developed by accident about 10,000 years ago. This corresponds with the first domestication of sheep. Humans of the time used inflated internal organs of animals to store food. On such traveler stored some milk in an inflated stomach, which combined with some acid and produced the first cheese.
Oldest Cheeses
The first archeological evidence for cheese production dates to about 7,500 years ago in Poland. Archeologists have found several examples of ancient cheese, a 3,200 year old cheese in Egypt and the oldest specimen, a 3,600 year old cheese in China’s Taklamakan Desert.
Fast forward to the present and we have more than 1,000 types of cheese. Factors such as the type of milk, the starter bacteria, the animal’s diet, and the aging process drive the different tastes and textures. Flavoring enhancements from spices, herbs and wood smoke also create unique types. An expert in cheese selection is known as a cheesemonger.
Now for our featured map, the cheeses of Europe courtesy of Foods of the World.
As always thanks for reading.
Armen
Note to pay the bills: If you’re interested in a James Bond-like thriller set in a high fantasy world, featuring a cheese-eating wizard, look into The Warders. You can find a summary of the series here or find links to purchase books here.
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That’s a lot of cheese. I’m reminded of the day I researched the pioneer making of cheese for my book, “House with a Heart”. The library had only one book in one branch, so I spent the entire morning sitting at a table reading about making cheese. Did you know they used cow bladders for the bacteria that helped make the cheese? It was both an interesting and a boring day, but I got what I needed.
You come up with some awesome maps. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Rick. I’m sure your readers appreciate the research you put into your work. Besides, I can imagine far worse things to research other than making cheese.