| Cheese is a solid food made from the milk
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| | declined somewhat since then due to
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| of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals.
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| | mechanization and economic factors.
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| The milk is curdled using some
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| | Cheese has served as a hedge against
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| combination of rennet (or rennet
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| | famine and is a good travel food. It is
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| substitutes) and acidification. Bacteria
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| | valuable for its portability, long life,
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| acidify the milk and play a role in
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| | and high content of fat, protein,
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| defining the texture and flavor of most
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| | calcium, and phosphorus. Cheese is
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| cheeses. Some cheeses also feature molds,
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| | lighter-weight, more compact, and has a
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| either on the outer rind or throughout.
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| | longer shelf life than the milk from
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| There are hundreds of types of cheese
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| | which it is made. Cheesemakers can place
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| produced all over the world. Different
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| | themselves near the center of a dairy
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| styles and flavors of cheese are the
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| | region and benefit from fresher milk,
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| result of using different species of
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| | lower milk prices, and lower shipping
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| bacteria and molds, different levels of
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| | costs. Cheese's substantial storage life
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| milk fat, variations in length of aging,
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| | lets a cheesemaker sell when prices are
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| differing processing treatments
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| | high or when money is needed.
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| (cheddaring, pulling, brining, mold wash)
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| | Origins
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| and different breeds of cows, sheep, or
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| | The exact origins of cheesemaking are
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| other mammals. Other factors include
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| | debated or unknown, and estimates range
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| animal diet and the addition of flavoring
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| | from around 8000 BCE (when sheep were
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| agents such as herbs, spices, or wood
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| | domesticated) to around 3000 BCE. Credit
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| smoke. Whether the milk is pasteurized
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| | for the discovery most likely goes to
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| may also affect the flavor. The yellow to
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| | nomadic Turkic tribes in Central Asia,
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| red coloring of many cheeses is a result
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| | around the same time that they developed
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| of adding annatto. Cheeses are eaten both
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| | yogurt, or to people in the Middle East.
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| on their own and cooked into various
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| | A common tale about the discovery of
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| dishes; most cheeses melt when cooked.
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| | cheese tells of an Arab nomad carrying
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| For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by
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| | milk across the desert in a container
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| adding acids such as vinegar or lemon
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| | made from an animal's stomach, only to
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| juice. Most cheeses, however, are
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| | discover the milk had been separated into
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| acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria,
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| | curd and whey by the rennet from the
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| which turn milk sugars into lactic acid,
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| | stomach.
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| followed by the addition of rennet to
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| | Folktales aside, cheese likely began as a
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| complete the curdling. Rennet is an
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| | way of preserving soured and curdled milk
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| enzyme mixture traditionally obtained
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| | through pressing and salting, with rennet
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| from the stomach lining of young cattle,
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| | introduced later— perhaps when someone
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| but now also laboratory produced.
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| | noticed that cheese made in an animal
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| Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are
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| | stomach produced more solid and
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| also available; most are produced by
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| | better-textured curds. The earliest
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| fermentation of the fungus Mucor miehei,
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| | archaeological evidence of cheesemaking
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| but substitute "vegetable rennets" have
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| | has been found in Egyptian tomb murals,
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| also been extracted from various species
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| | dating to about 2300 BCE. The earliest
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| of the Cynara thistle family.
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| | cheeses would likely have been quite sour
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| The word cheese is derived, through
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| | and salty, similar in texture to rustic
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| Middle English chese and, from the Latin
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| | cottage cheese or feta.
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| caseus.
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| | From the Middle East, basic cheesemaking
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| Cheese is an ancient food whose origins
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| | found its way into Europe, where cooler
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| may predate recorded history. Probably
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| | climates meant less aggressive salting
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| discovered in Central Asia or the Middle
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| | was needed for preservation. With
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| East, cheesemaking spread to Europe and
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| | moderate salt and acidity, the cheese
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| had become a sophisticated enterprise by
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| | became a suitable environment for a
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| Roman times. As Rome's influence receded,
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| | variety of beneficial microbes and molds,
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| distinct local cheesemaking techniques
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| | which are what give aged cheeses their
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| emerged. This diversity reached its peak
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| | pronounced and interesting flavors.
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| in the early industrial age and has
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