Most of us take cheese for granted. When we go to the supermarket, we expect to see a range of different cheeses to choose from. But have you ever wondered how these differences came about?
Cheese has been produced and eaten for many thousands of years. No one knows for sure how we discovered how to make cheese, but some animals, like lambs, produce cheese naturally in their stomachs. It’s possible that our ancestors found this cheese-like substance in the stomach of a dead lamb or calf and liked the taste. Certainly, cheese is very practical. Milk ends up very quickly, but turning it into a solid means that it can be kept for much longer. Cheese is also healthy, full of protein, calcium and essential acids.
Cheese can be made from the milk of animals such as goats, sheep, cows and even horses and reindeer. By far the most popular cheese in the world is Cheddar, an English cheese made from cow’s milk.
The amount of water and fat used in the production of cheese determines whether it is hard or soft. The flavor of cheese depends on the kind of bacteria used in the ripening process. All cheese has bacteria in it, but this is not harmful to humans.
The holes in Swiss cheese are made by bacteria that give off a certain gas. Roquefort and other blue cheeses are blue because they have a mould in them. Once again this is quite safe to eat