Cheese: Difference between revisions

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	The exact origins of cheesemaking are unknown, and estimates range from around 5,000 years ago(around the time sheep were ]) to around 4,300 years ago. It was most probably discovered in the ], and a common story about its discovery has an ] nomad carrying milk across the desert in a container lined with an animal's stomach only to discover the milk had separated into ] and ] by the rennet from the animal's stomach. The ancient ] believed that ] discovered cheese.		The exact origins of cheesemaking are unknown, and estimates range from around 5,000 years ago(around the time sheep were ]) to around 4,300 years ago. It was most probably discovered in the ], and a common story about its discovery has an ] nomad carrying milk across the desert in a container lined with an animal's stomach only to discover the milk had separated into ] and ] by the rennet from the animal's stomach. The ancient ] believed that ] discovered cheese.

	However, cheese most likely began as a way of preserving soured and curdled milk through pressing and salting. Rennet may have been introduced when someone noticed that cheese made in an animal stomach produced more solid and better-textured curds. The earliest ] evidence of cheesemaking has been found in ] tomb murals, dating to ~~about~~ ~~2300~~ ~~BCE~~. The earliest cheeses would likely have been quite sour and salty, similar in texture to rustic ] or ].		However, cheese most likely began as a way of preserving soured and curdled milk through pressing and salting. Rennet may have been introduced when someone noticed that cheese made in an animal stomach produced more solid and better-textured curds. The earliest ] evidence of cheesemaking has been found in ] tomb murals, dating to around 4,300 years ago. The earliest cheeses would likely have been quite sour and salty, similar in texture to rustic ] or ].

	From the Middle East, basic cheesemaking found its way into Europe, where cooler climates meant less aggressive salting was needed for preservation. With moderate salt and acidity, the cheese became a suitable environment for a variety of beneficial microbes and ~~molds~~. These are what give aged cheeses their pronounced and interesting flavors.		From the Middle East, basic cheesemaking found its way into Europe, where cooler climates meant less aggressive salting was needed for preservation. With moderate salt and acidity, the cheese became a suitable environment for a variety of beneficial microbes and moulds. These are what give aged cheeses their pronounced and interesting flavors.

	By Roman times, cheesemaking was a mature art, not very different than it is today. ] devotes a chapter to cheeses (xi.;97). In the early Empire, Romans considered the best cheeses to come from the villages round ], which did not keep long, however, and had to be eaten fresh. Cheeses of the ] and ] were remarkable for their variety then, as now. The ] cheese of ] (Civa) was noted for being mostly made from the milk of sheep. Goatsmilk cheese was a recent taste in Rome, improved by ]. Of cheeses from overseas, the Romans preferred those of ] in Asia Minor.		By Roman times, cheesemaking was a mature art, not very different than it is today. ] devotes a chapter to cheeses (xi.;97). In the early Empire, Romans considered the best cheeses to come from the villages round ], which did not keep long, however, and had to be eaten fresh. Cheeses of the ] and ] were remarkable for their variety then, as now. The ] cheese of ] (Civa) was noted for being mostly made from the milk of sheep. Goatsmilk cheese was a recent taste in Rome, improved by ]. Of cheeses from overseas, the Romans preferred those of ] in Asia Minor.

Revision as of 20:16, 20 September 2005

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Category Outline

Cheese is a solid food made from the curdled milk of various mammals—most commonly cows but sometimes goats, sheep, or buffalo. Rennet is often used to induce coagulation in the milk, although some cheeses are curdled with acids such as vinegar or lemon juice, or with extracts of various species of Cynara (sometimes called vegetable rennet). Rennet is an enzyme traditionally obtained from the stomach lining of bovine calves, although sometimes a microbiological (laboratory-produced) substitute is used. Bacteria are added to cheese to reduce the pH, alter the texture, and develop flavor, and some cheeses also have molds, either on the outer skin or throughout.

There are hundreds of types of cheese. Different styles and flavors of cheese are the results of using different species of bacteria and molds, different levels of milk fat, variations in length of aging, differing processing treatments (cheddaring, pulling, brining, mold wash) and different breeds of cows, sheep, or other mammals. Other factors include milk, animal diet, and the addition of herbs and spices to some cheeses.

Some controversy exists regarding the safety of cheese made by the traditional methods of using unpasteurized milk, and regarding how pasteurization affects flavor.

Cheese is rarely found in East Asian dishes, because it is perceived as not being a fresh ingredient. Cheese made from Yak's or Mare's milk is common on the Asian Steppes and cheese is used in India, where paneer curries are popular.

History

The exact origins of cheesemaking are unknown, and estimates range from around 5,000 years ago(around the time sheep were domesticated) to around 4,300 years ago. It was most probably discovered in the Middle East, and a common story about its discovery has an Arab nomad carrying milk across the desert in a container lined with an animal's stomach only to discover the milk had separated into curd and whey by the rennet from the animal's stomach. The ancient Greeks believed that Aristaeus discovered cheese.

However, cheese most likely began as a way of preserving soured and curdled milk through pressing and salting. Rennet may have been introduced when someone noticed that cheese made in an animal stomach produced more solid and better-textured curds. The earliest archaeological evidence of cheesemaking has been found in Egyptian tomb murals, dating to around 4,300 years ago. The earliest cheeses would likely have been quite sour and salty, similar in texture to rustic cottage cheese or feta.

From the Middle East, basic cheesemaking found its way into Europe, where cooler climates meant less aggressive salting was needed for preservation. With moderate salt and acidity, the cheese became a suitable environment for a variety of beneficial microbes and moulds. These are what give aged cheeses their pronounced and interesting flavors.

By Roman times, cheesemaking was a mature art, not very different than it is today. Pliny's Natural History devotes a chapter to cheeses (xi.;97). In the early Empire, Romans considered the best cheeses to come from the villages round Nîmes, which did not keep long, however, and had to be eaten fresh. Cheeses of the Alps and Apennines were remarkable for their variety then, as now. The Ligurian cheese of Ceba (Civa) was noted for being mostly made from the milk of sheep. Goatsmilk cheese was a recent taste in Rome, improved by smoking. Of cheeses from overseas, the Romans preferred those of Bithynia in Asia Minor.

In 1546, John Heywood wrote in his Proverbs that "The moon is made of a green cheese". Variations on this sentiment were long repeated. Although some people assumed that this was a serious belief in the era before space exploration, it is more likely that Heywood was indulging in nonsense.

After the decline of Rome, cheese in Europe diversified further as various locales developed their own distinctive cheesemaking traditions and products.

Cheese trivia

Because in English the word cheese contains the phoneme /i/, a long vowel which requires the lips to be stretched in the appearance of a smile, it is frequently used among English-speakers as an exclamation by the subjects of a photograph in order to produce a smile.

Cheese, grated and mixed with beer, is one of the main ingredients in the British dish Welsh rarebit, (archaically known as Welsh rabbit, yet having nothing to do with actual rabbits).

The word "cheese" comes from the Latin caseus and, later, West Germanic kasjus. Note that cheese in Modern German is Käse.

The first factory for the industrial production of cheese opened in Switzerland on February 3, 1815. France and Italy are the nations with the most diversity in locally made cheeses - with approximately 400 each. According to a French proverb, there is a different French cheese for every day of the year.

Certain kinds of hard cheese such as cheddar have been found to help fight tooth decay, if eaten soon after eating foods that promote tooth decay.

In his Histoire de ma vie, Casanova revealed himself to be a fan of blue cheeses, claiming them to be able to "restore an old love and ... ripen a young one". He also confessed he was fond of cheeses which were full of worms, possibly a reference to a traditional Sardinian pecorino called Casu Marzu.

Cheese expressions and quotes

"Like chalk and cheese." — (An expression meaning completely different.)
"A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman who has lost an eye." — Brillat-Savarin.
"A slice of pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze." — Anonymous
"Say cheese!" — said during photo-taking to encourage those posing to smile
"How can you govern a country where there are 246 different types of cheese?" — attributed to Charles de Gaulle
"There's always free cheese in a mousetrap."
To "cut the cheese" — a euphemism for flatulence.

"Cheesy" can describe something of overblown, inauthentic quality. Example: Teenagers would describe children's shows as "cheesy."
"The Big Cheese" - an expression meaning "head honcho."
Students who travel to school by school bus (in North America) are said to "ride the cheese-wagon", a reference to the typical yellow color of a school bus.

External links

Cheese.com
CheeseOnTour.com
Cheesemaking.com — Online educational information about how to make cheese.
Production of cheese — From Food-info.net.
Complete Recipes: Cheese
I Love Cheese.com
University of Guelph Food Science Cheese Site
Cheese Recipes - eLook - Contains a listing of over 1,100 recipes.
Cheese Research Group, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland Online technical information about cheese.

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