June 4 is National Cheese Day, not to be confused with other popular cheese related holidays like grilled cheese day, cheesecake day, or Mac & Cheese day. This day is in reverence of the queen of all dairy, the big cheese.
Cheese making is an ancient, some might even say sacred, craft. So ancient in fact it predates recorded history. It is speculated that the magic of cheese making began somewhere around 8000BCE shortly after the domestication of animals. Archeological digs have found evidence of cheese around the world including strainers coated in milk-fat molecules in Kuyavia, Poland dated around 5500BCE, murals in Egypt dated at 2000BCE, and an artifact of preserved cheese in Xinjiang, China believed to be more than 3,000 years old! European Imperialism took their styles of cheese through Asia, sub-saharan Africa, and eventually to the Americas.
There are seven official types of cheese. These are:
- Fresh
- Aged fresh
- Soft white rind
- Semi-soft
- Hard
- Blue
- Flavor added
Cow’s milk cheese is the most popular and most widely produced, but cheese can also be made from the milk of sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, moose, donkies, horses, alpacas, camels, and yes, even humans.
Even though France is known for its cheese, America is actually the world’s top producer, churning out (get it?) 5,675,000 Metric Tons of Cheese every year, although other countries have higher per capita consumption. Of the types of cheese produced, Mozzarella is actually the biggest selling cheese in the U.S. – maybe it gets a boost from American’s obsession with Pizza.
Aside from being the most popular cheese, mozzarella was first created near Naples from the rich milk of water buffalos. You heard that right – water buffalos. At the time, it rarely left its home near Naples, as it was made from pasteurized milk, and a lack of refrigeration meant it had a very short shelf life. As both cheese technology and refrigeration systems advanced, this delicious cheese left the southern region of Italy and found itself traveling around the world.
Today, cheese dishes can be found on every continent served savory, sweet, melted, deep fried, and even chilled in ice cream. This household staple can still satisfy any craving after thousands of years. So, say cheese! And eat some, too!
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