Cheese
Cheese is a versatile dairy product made primarily from milk, which can come from various mammals like cows, goats, and sheep. Over a thousand distinct varieties exist, each differing in flavor, texture, and appearance, shaped by factors such as the type of milk used and the cheese-making process. This ancient food likely originated by accident when improperly stored milk fermented and curdled, leading to the development of cheese as a means of preserving perishable milk. Traces of cheese-making date back to ancient Egyptian tombs, indicating its long-standing presence in human culture.
The cheese-making process involves several steps, including separating milk into curds and whey, cutting and cooking the curds, pressing them, and salting them before aging. The conditions during ripening significantly influence the final characteristics of the cheese, including its flavor and texture. While traditional cheese is made from animal milk, there are also dairy-free alternatives crafted from soy, nuts, and grains. Cheese has evolved from a local craft in ancient societies to a global industry, with significant production and consumption seen in places like the United States today. The diversity and cultural significance of cheese reflect its important role in culinary traditions around the world.
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Cheese
Cheese is a dairy food made of milk. More than one thousand varieties of cheese exist, from cheddar to mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola, and gruyère. Cheese's main ingredient is milk, which is composed of water, lactose (milk sugar), fat, proteins (casein and whey), and minerals. People have been making and eating cheese since ancient times, and it is believed that cheese was created by accident because of improperly stored milk. People then discovered that making cheese was an effective way to preserve perishable milk. The cheese-making process itself coupled with several factors, such as location and ingredients, has led to the creation of numerous types of cheeses available worldwide in the twenty-first century.
History
While the origins of cheese date back to ancient times, who is responsible for making the first cheese is unknown, as is when it was made. Traces of dairy products have been found in pots dating back to 7000 BCE, but it is unclear exactly what type of dairy left these traces. According to one story, cheese was invented when an Arabian traveling merchant poured his milk into a sheep's stomach fashioned into a pouch during a voyage. The heat of the sun coupled with the stomach lining, which contained the coagulating enzyme rennin, caused the milk to ferment and curdle, separating into curds (solid parts) and whey (liquid part). The man drank the whey and ate the curds, which he found to taste good. People continued to eat the cheese curds, and over time, they learned that they could press the curds together to form blocks of cheese, which they could save and eat later.
The oldest known cheese hails from ancient Egypt—preserved remains of 3,200-year-old cheese were found in an Egyptian tomb in 2018. This cheese was made with sheep's milk and goat's milk and would have been soft, but sharp in flavor. People traveling from Asia were thought to have brought cheese and the cheese-making process to Europe, where it flourished with the Romans. The Romans refined the cheese-making process and were the first people to age cheese to keep it preserved longer. In addition, they developed different ripening, or aging, techniques, which affected the taste of various cheeses. They are credited with creating numerous varieties of cheese—many of which are still eaten in modern times. When the Romans conquered Gaul (modern Western Europe), they introduced cheese and the cheese-making process to these areas.
People in France, Italy, and England embraced the art of cheese making during the Middle Ages, and the process soon spread throughout Europe. During this time, several types of cheeses became synonymous with specific areas of Europe. Gorgonzola became popular in the Po Valley in Italy. Roquefort showed up in monasteries in France. The French perfected the aging process, known as l'affinage. Wealthy households during this time included separate kitchens to make cheese and areas where cheese could be aged and smoked.
In the years that followed, cheese became very popular, and many different varieties were developed. Cheese was one of the foods included on the Mayflower on its travels to the New World in the early 1600s. The art of cheese making spread quickly throughout the American colonies. However, cheese remained a local industry among farmers until 1851, when cheese maker Jesse Williams established the first US cheese factory in Oneida County, New York.
The demand for cheese across the United States continued to grow as the westward population swelled. The cheese industry followed this population, setting up farms in Wisconsin. Immigrants populated the area by the mid-1800s, bringing their cheeses and cheese-making processes with them.
US cheese production continued to soar in the years that followed, as did the demand for imported cheeses. By the twenty-first century, Americans were consuming more than twenty-three pounds of cheese per person per year. This was up from eight pounds a century earlier.
Overview
The many varieties of cheese found worldwide depend on a number of factors. Cheese can have a strong or light flavor, soft or hard texture, and even have mold. The most important factor in cheese making is the type of milk used. This affects the flavor, texture, and properties of the cheese. Any mammal that produces milk, including cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo, camels, and yaks, can be used to obtain milk for making cheese. In addition, non-dairy milks made from soy, nuts, grains, and more can be used to make dairy-free cheeses (although the process is often very different, and in the case of soy milk, applying a basic cheese-making process results in tofu).
The second most important defining characteristic of cheese is the cheese-making process itself. The process consists of eight basic steps. Each step targets the content of water, acid, and salt, making each finished product different.
First, the milk is separated into curds and whey. This is done by heating the milk and adding bacteria. (Different types of bacteria strains are added to make distinct cheese varieties.) Once the acid level rises in the milk, the coagulating enzyme rennin is added to make the casein (milk protein) curdle to produce curds.
During the second step, the curds are cut into smaller pieces. Small curds hold less water, while large ones hold more water. Dry cheeses such as cheddar are cut into smaller curds, while soft cheeses such as mozzarella have larger curds. Some of the whey is then drained.
The next step is to cook and stir the curds. Higher temperatures yield firm cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano. Soft cheeses such as brie do not require much cooking or stirring. Blue cheeses typically are not cooked at all. During the fourth step, the curds are pressed to release whey. More whey is drained from drier cheeses than from soft cheeses. The next step is called knitting, and this occurs as the whey is draining and the curds stick together.
The curds are then pressed together to release more whey and are molded. Tightly pressed cheeses have a more dense texture. Next, the cheese is salted or submerged into a saltwater bath. This both flavors the cheese and draws out even more whey to dry the cheese further. This is sometimes the last step in cheese making, depending on the type of cheese.
The final step is applying applications to the cheese, such as ripening. Ripening imparts more flavor and texture to the cheese. Temperature and humidity are important during ripening. Hard cheeses need lower humidity, while soft cheeses require high humidity. Cheeses are washed, turned, and brushed to aid in the ripening process. During ripening, the different cheeses get their characteristics. For example, Swiss gets its holes, and blue cheese gets its moldy veins. Brie gets its tough outside rind from an application of mold during the ripening step.
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