أفضل 10 حقائق مثيرة حول الجبن Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Cheese

I’ve been contemplating writing a list for a
while now and finally got my inspiration from watching one of my
favorite cooking shows, Good Eats. (Hush, Jamie. I know you hate that
show.) My love of cheese has grown throughout the years, from asking my
parents for some “cheesh” please to carefully selecting a cheese to
try from the gourmet section of my local grocery store. I hope you all
enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.
10Etymology





The root of the English word cheese comes from the Latin caseus,
which also gives us the word casein, the milk protein that is the basis
of cheese. In Old English, caseus was cīese or cēse, which became chese
in Middle English, finally becoming cheese in Modern English. Caseus
is also the root word for cheese in other languages, including queso in
Spanish, kaas in Dutch, käse in German, and queijo in Portuguese. Caseus
Formatus, or molded (formed) cheese, brought us formaticum, the term
the Romans employed for the hard cheese used as supplies for the
legionaries. From this root comes the French fromage and the Italian
formaggio.
9Early History





Cheese consumption predates recorded history, with scholars believing
it began as early as 8000 BC, when sheep were first domesticated, to as
late as 3000 BC. It is believed to have been discovered in the Middle
East or by nomadic Turkic tribes in Central Asia, where foodstuffs were
commonly stored in animal hides or organs for transport. Milk stored in
animal stomachs would have separated into curds and whey by movement
and the rennet and bacteria naturally present.
8Evidence





Egypt brings us the earliest archeological evidence of cheesemaking,
found in tomb murals that date back to 2000 BC. These cheeses were
likely to have been very sour and salty (lots of salt was needed to
preserve the cheese in the hot, arid climate) and similar to a cottage
cheese or feta in texture. Cheeses made in Europe didn’t require as
much salt because of cooler conditions, thus paving the way for
beneficial microbes and molds to form and give aged cheeses their
interesting and robust flavors.
7Fine Art





Ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to turn cheesemaking into a
fine art. Larger Roman houses even had a special kitchen, called a
careale, just for making cheese. After developing techniques for
smoking and adding other flavors into cheeses, the Romans spread this
knowledge slowly through their empire. Local resources allowed for
different varieties to develop along the way.
6Variety





After the fall of the Roman Empire, innovative monks were responsible
for inventing some of the classic varieties of cheese we know today.
According to the British Cheese Board, Britain has approximately 700
distinct local cheeses. It is thought that France and Italy have
perhaps 400 each. The varying flavors, colors, and textures of cheese
come from many factors, including the type of milk used, the type of
bacteria or acids used to separate the milk, the length of aging, and
the addition of other flavorings or mold.




5“Other” Cheese





Although most cheese is produced from cow, sheep, or goat’s milk, it
can and has been made from a plethora of milk-producing animals. A farm
in Bjurholm, Sweden actually makes moose cheese. The lactation period
of moose is short, lasting from about June to August, and the farm,
owned by Christer and Ulla Johansson, keeps three moose that produce
only 300 kilograms of cheese per year. The moose cheese sells for
roughly US$1000 per kilogram. Places in Russia also produce moose milk
but have not had success with moose cheesemaking due to its high protein
content.
4Top Cheese





The United States is the top producer of cheese in the world, with
Wisconsin and California leading the states in production. Although the
US produces the most cheese, Greece and France lead the pack in cheese
consumption per capita, averaging 27.3 and 24.0 kilograms per person in
2003 respectively. In the same year, the average US citizen consumed
around 14.1 kg, although cheese consumption in the US has tripled since
1970 and is continuing to increase. Pictured above is cheez whiz. Keep
it classy.
3Stinky Cheese and Feet





Limburger cheese is notorious for its strong and generally unpleasant
odor. The bacteria known as brevibacterium linens causes this. It is
also found on human skin and is partially responsible for body odor.
The Chalet Cheese Cooperative, located in Monroe, Wisconsin, is the only
maker of limburger cheese in North America today.
2Fondue





When eating cheese fondue, make sure to save room for “the nun” at
the bottom of the pot, or la religieuse. Religieuse means nun in French
and usually refers to a type of pastry. There is much speculation as
to why the cracker-like, toasted cheese layer found in the bottom of a
caquelon is called la religieuse, ranging from the legend that monks
saved the last remaining bits of fondue for the nuns to the idea that
eating it is a religious experience. In German, it is called the
Großmutter or grossmutter, which translates to grandmother. The meaning
behind this use is also unclear.
1Great Cheese Quotes





“A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be
over sophisticated. Yet it remains, cheese, milk’s leap toward
immortality.” Clifton Fadiman (American writer and editor; New Yorker
book reviewer, 1904-1999)
“A dinner which ends without cheese is like a beautiful woman with
only one eye.” Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (French lawyer and
politician, epicure and gastronome, 1755-1826)
“Many’s the long night I’ve dreamed of cheese — toasted, mostly.”
Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel
writer, 1850-1894)
“How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?”
Charles De Gaulle (French general and president, 1890-1970)