Cheese

Cheese is an amazing snack. It goes well with many things, like pizza, grapes, etc. Brie with grapes tastes really good. It is probably one of my favorite foods. It has many variations and a rich and storied history.

What exactly is cheese, though? It is a dairy dish that is made from the milk protein casein. It is made up of proteins and fat from the milk. The milk can come from any mammal, but most cheeses are produced from cow, goat, or sheep milk. They produce the cheese by acidifying the milk and using enzymes to solidify the casein. Then, the liquid part and the solid parts are separated and pressed into the actual cheese. Then, these cheeses are left to age to get a better taste. Fun fact: there are over 1,000 types of cheeses produced around the world. A fun fact for the fun fact is that American cheese is not considered to be real cheese (by the FDA[Food and Drug Administration]) because the FDA requires a real cheese to have more than 51% cheese curds. American cheese is less than that.

What is the history of cheese?

The word cheese itself comes from the Latin word caseus, which comes from some other word (don’t ask me where). The word casein is also derived from that Latin word. The origins of the food predate recorded history. Yes, cheese is that old. The location is not conclusive, whether it is in Asia, Europe, or somewhere else. One proposed date of origin says that cheese originated around the same time when sheep were first domesticated, around 8000 BCE. The earliest evidence of cheesemaking dates to 5500 BCE. Cheese is even ingrained in Greek mythology and stories like Homer’s Odyssey. In the modern era, cheese spread around the world and became a popular treat. Industrialization of cheese also happened. The first factory for cheese produced industrially was made in 1815 in Switzerland, but industrial production for cheese became more successful in the U.S. In the 1860s, rennet, an enzyme used to make cheese, started to be mass-produced, making cheese more standardized. Cheese continues to be one of the most popular things today, and by 2012, it was one of the most shoplifted items worldwide. How healthy is cheese? The nutritional value of cheese varies, but most cheeses have calcium, protein, phosphorus, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin A. However, cheese and other full-fat dairy foods can contain lots of saturated fat and cholesterol and can cause cardiovascular disease. Raw milk cheese is also bad due to bacteria and stuff, but cheese that you find in a store should be pasteurized and safe to eat.

Ultimately, cheese tastes great, has a lot of variation, a rich and storied history, an interesting process, and is a great snack for the body (when balanced). Cheese has an amazing effect on our culture and

Coyau / Wikimedia Commons /  CC BY-SA 3.0