Four Facts About The Origin Of Cheese

Today, we take cheese as a given, assuming that we will be able to find it almost no matter where in the world we go. Next time you are eating your favorite type of this dairy snack, take some time to reflect on the origins of it. You can easily find details of the history of cheese, but here are some of the most interesting facts about its origins. 

It Has Been Around For At Least 4,000 Years 

Experts agree that cheese has been in existence for a minimum of 4,000 years. The proof of this date comes from murals in Egyptian tombs. While this is the earliest evidence we have that cheese has been around for thousands of years, it is entirely possible that it existed even longer than this. 

Our Guess Of How It Was Invented

Because cheese was invented so long ago, the exact origins of it have long been lost to history. That being said, most experts agree on the same theory, that you will find on nearly any website dedicated to cheese. Most likely a traveler of some sort, possibly a nomad on a camel, was traveling across the dessert. He likely filled up his saddlebag with milk to drink along the way. 

At the time, saddlebags were sheep stomachs that had been dried. It is likely that due to the heat of desert, after just a few hours of traveling, the milk would have separated. By the time he went to have a drink, he discovered curds (white solids) and whey (the milky fluid). Most assume that this traveler discovered that the curds were delicious and the why still drinkable. 

There is another theory, which is that men gave the Gods milk as an offering. When they put it out in warmer weather, they noticed the milk would thicken. They may have noticed that it would curdle and then drained the liquid, discovering it firmed up, accidentally creating soft cheese. 

Asian Travelers Brought It To Europe

The theories involving the first cheese are focused in Asia because we know that Asian travelers brought cheesemaking to the European continent. It was particularly popular in the Roman Empire, and they spread it to England. By the 10th Century, Italy was the continent’s cheesemaking center. 

Many Of Our Favorite Cheeses Began During The Late Middle Ages

The first records of some of today’s most popular cheeses appeared during the middle ages. These include Cheddar in 1500, Parmigiano-Reggiano in 1597, Gouda during 1697, and finally, Camembert in 1791.