🧀Cheese has been made since 8000 BCE and played a vital role in ancient civilizations.
🌍Cheese production and diverse varieties have spread across the globe.
🥛Cheese allowed ancient communities to consume essential nutrients while reducing lactose intake.
🧪Various techniques and aging processes have been developed to create different types of cheese.
⛪️Medieval monasteries contributed significantly to the refinement and perfection of cheesemaking.
When was cheese first made?
—Cheese has been made since 8000 BCE, with evidence of its production by Neolithic farmers in the Fertile Crescent.
How did cheese help ancient communities?
—Cheese provided essential nutrients while reducing lactose intake, making it more digestible for many ancient stomachs. It could also be preserved and stockpiled, ensuring access to nutrients during famines and winters.
How has cheese evolved over time?
—Cheese has evolved from simple fresh clumps to a diverse range of aged, pressed, and ripened varieties. Different cultures added their own local flavors, resulting in the wide variety of cheeses we have today.
What was the role of monasteries in cheesemaking?
—Benedictine monasteries in medieval Europe played a significant role in experimenting with different types of milk, cheesemaking practices, and aging processes, leading to the refinement of popular cheeses like Parmesan, Roquefort, and Munster.
How much cheese is produced globally today?
—Approximately 22 billion kilograms of cheese are produced worldwide every year, satisfying the global demand for this beloved food.
00:07Cheese has a long history, dating back to 8000 BCE.
01:48Cheese provided essential nutrients and could be preserved and stockpiled for scarce times.
03:25Different cultures added their own flavors to cheese, resulting in diverse varieties.
04:02Medieval monks refined and perfected cheesemaking practices in Europe.
04:46Industrialization brought cheese production out of monasteries and into machinery.
