Three Of The Oldest Cheeses

Some cheese is designed to age while others are best eaten fresh. Even hard cheeses, however, are not typically aged more than a decade. Because of this, the oldest cheeses in the world are found by mere happenstance. Their extensive aging isn’t intentional; it is accidental, happening when someone dies or being discovered years after being left somewhere. Amazingly enough, some of the cheese archaeologists and others discover is even (probably) safe to eat. Here are three of the oldest cheeses that have been found. If you buy from a specialty retailer, you may be able to find cheddar aged over fiveyears, but that is still a baby compared to these cheeses.

The Cheese With A Chinese Mummy

In 2014, the cheese world got some major news when researchers announced that mummies found buried in China were discovered with hunks of cheese. The mummies were originally buried within the Taklamakan Desert and experts put them at 3,800 years old. The cheese hunks were found around the neck of the mummies. The cheese was actually discovered when researchers started excavating Xiaohe Cemetery, or Ordek’s Necropolis, from 2002 to 2004. This necropolis provided salty soil and dry air, allowing for preservation of mummies and accessories. The cheese clumps adorned the chests and necks of the mummies and were between 0.4 and 0.8 inches.

Cheese Found In A Milwaukee Walk-In Cooler

To give an example of the type of old cheese that is more typically found, look at the case of Ed Zahn, a cheesemaker, who discovered decades-old cheese in his walk-in cooler in 2012. Zahn, who was 73 at the time of discovery, had originally made the cheese while working a cheese company that is no longer in business. His 40-year old cheddar was accidental, but still won him the honor of having the oldest of all commercially available cheeses in the world, while supplies lasted. The flavor was reportedly so strong that people could only handle very small bites. At the same time, Zahn found two other batches of cheese, one that was 28 years old and another that was 34.

20-Year-Old Cheddar

Apparently Wisconsin prides itself on its cheesemaking skills for good reason; another of the oldest cheeses is from the state as well. The Hook’s Cheese Company in Mineral Point made headlines in 2015 when they sold 20-year-old cheddar. It sold for $209 a pound and it was all claimed very quickly following the announcement.