According to archaeological research, the production of cheese was invented long before writing, in the early stages of human civilization. It has been a part of the human diet for at least 7,000 years, so we have prepared some interesting facts about cheese for you.
1. It is believed that cheese was accidentally discovered in the Middle East by nomads of Turkic tribes, they used the stomachs of animals for storage and transportation of milk. During movement and under the action of enzymes, milk was divided into cheese and whey.
2. Sieves with traces of milkfats have been found in Poland, which is considered to be the earliest archaeological evidence of cheese making. They date back to 5500 BC, but it has been suggested that the cheese was first discovered around 8000 BC when sheep were first domesticated.
3. Evidence of cheese production is found in Egyptian tombs, which are more than four thousand years old. The cheese was probably very salty, as a lot of salt was needed to keep the cheese in a hot and dry climate.
4. It is a misconception that mice love cheese. Mice ate cheese because it was convenient, not because they liked it. Today, more foods are easily accessible. That means mice are much more likely to go after things they like, such as sugar and grains.
5. There are more than 2,000 varieties of cheese in the world. The taste, texture, and even color of the cheese depend on many factors, including the type of milk, the recipe, the ripening period, and the addition of various spices and herbs.
6. Cheese is made from the milk of various mammals, such as goats, sheep, cows horses, and camels. Some types of cheese form a rind of edible, white mold during the ripening process, that gives the cheese its particular taste and smell.
7. Every year about 20 million tons of cheese produced worldwide. The largest producer of cheese is the United States with more than 25% of world production, which is more than 5 million tons of cheese.
8. Cheese contains the goodness of a number of essential nutrients, including protein, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12.
9. The smell of cheese is considered an aphrodisiac. Some cheese contains the same chemicals as chocolate, so the smell of it increases levels of dopamine in the brain.
10. In 1840, Queen Victoria received a massive half-ton wheel of cheddar cheese as a wedding gift.
11. Tyrosemiophilia is the hobby of collecting cheese labels. As of May 2019, the world’s largest collection encompasses 250,655 label designs.
12. The most popular and famous cheese in the world is Parmigiano Reggiano. You know that to make one kilogram of Parmesan cheese requires 16 liters of milk, and to create one head of more than 500 liters of milk can make one wheel of cheese weighing at least 30 kg.
