1. Cheese is Older Than Recorded History: Cheese-making predates recorded history, with evidence suggesting it dates back over 7,000 years. It's believed to have been accidentally discovered when milk stored in animal stomachs curdled due to enzymes.
2. There Are Over 1,800 Types of Cheese: While many people are familiar with popular cheeses like Cheddar, Brie, and Gouda, there are actually over 1,800 different types of cheese produced worldwide, each with its own unique flavor, texture, and aroma.
3. Cheese Is a Source of Vitamin K2: Cheese, particularly fermented varieties like Gouda and Brie, is a good source of vitamin K2, which is important for bone health and may lower the risk of heart disease.
4. The World's Most Expensive Cheese Comes from Serbia: Pule cheese, made from the milk of Balkan donkeys, is one of the rarest and most expensive cheeses in the world. It can cost over $1,000 per pound due to the limited availability of Balkan donkey milk.
5. Cheese Can Be Aged for Decades: While most cheeses are aged for a few weeks to a few years, some specialty cheeses, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gouda, can be aged for decades, resulting in complex flavors and textures.
6. Cheese Is Highly Diverse in Texture: Cheese can range from soft and creamy to hard and crumbly, with textures influenced by factors such as moisture content, aging process, and bacterial culture. Some cheeses even have unique textures, like the squeaky texture of fresh cheese curds.
7. Mice Don't Necessarily Love Cheese: Contrary to popular belief, mice don't necessarily have an inherent preference for cheese. In fact, they often prefer foods high in sugar and carbohydrates. The association between mice and cheese likely originated from cartoons and folklore.
8. Cheese Was Once Used as Currency: In ancient Rome, cheese was considered a valuable commodity and was sometimes used as currency for paying soldiers and other workers. It was also used as a form of rent in some regions.
9. Cheese Can Have Terroir: Similar to wine, cheese can exhibit unique flavors and characteristics based on the environment in which the milk-producing animals graze. This concept, known as terroir, influences the taste of cheeses like Roquefort and Gruyère.
10. The World's Largest Cheese Weighed Over 57,000 Pounds: In 2010, a group of Wisconsin cheese makers created the world's largest cheese, weighing in at over 57,000 pounds. It was a Cheddar cheese wheel made to celebrate the state's cheese industry.