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{{Short description|Curdled milk food product}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
[[File:Cheese platter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A platter with cheese and garnishes]]
[[File:Clara Peeters - Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Cheeses in art: ''[[Wikipedia:Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels|Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels]]'', [[Wikipedia:Clara Peeters|Clara Peeters]], {{circa|1615}}]]

'''Cheese''' is a [[Wikipedia:dairy product|dairy product]] produced in wide ranges of flavors, [[en:Mouthfeel|textures]], and forms by [[:en:coagulation (milk)|coagulation]] of the milk protein [[casein]]. It comprises [[protein]]s and fat from milk (usually the milk of [[Wikipedia:cows|cows]], [[:en:Water buffalo|buffalo]], [[Wikipedia:goats|goats]], or [[:en:sheep milk|sheep]]). During production, milk is usually [[acid]]ified and either the enzymes of [[rennet]] or bacterial enzymes with similar activity are added to cause the casein to coagulate. The solid [[curd]]s are then separated from the liquid [[whey]] and pressed into finished cheese. Some cheeses have aromatic [[mold]]s on the rind, the outer layer, or throughout.

Over a thousand [[types of cheese]] exist and are produced in various countries. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the origin of the milk (including the animal's diet), whether they have been [[Wikipedia:pasteurized|pasteurized]], the [[butterfat]] content, the bacteria and [[Fungus|mold]], the processing, and how long they have been [[Cheese ripening|aged]]. Herbs, spices, or [[:en:smoking (cooking)|wood smoke]] may be used as [[:en:flavoring agent]]s. The yellow to red color of many cheeses is produced by adding [[annatto]]. Other ingredients may be added to some cheeses, such as [[black pepper]], garlic, [[chives]], or [[cranberry|cranberries]]. A '''cheesemonger''', or specialist seller of cheeses, may have expertise with selecting, purchasing, receiving, storing and ripening cheeses.

For a few cheeses, the milk is [[curd]]led by adding [[acid]]s such as vinegar or [[Wikipedia:lemon juice|lemon juice]]. Most cheeses are acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria, which turn [[milk sugar]]s into [[lactic acid]], then the addition of rennet completes the curdling. Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are available; most are produced by [[fermentation]] of the fungus ''[[Rhizomucor miehei|Mucor miehei]]'', but others have been extracted from various species of the ''[[Cynara]]'' thistle family. [[Cheesemaker]]s near a dairy region may benefit from fresher, lower-priced milk, and lower shipping costs.

Cheese is valued for its portability, long [[Wikipedia:shelf life|shelf life]], and high content of fat, [[protein]], [[calcium]], and [[phosphorus]]. Cheese is more compact and has a longer shelf life than milk, although how long a cheese will keep depends on the type of cheese. [[Hard cheese]]s, such as [[Parmesan]], last longer than soft cheeses, such as [[Brie]] or [[Goat cheese|goat's milk cheese]]. The long storage life of some cheeses, especially when encased in a protective rind, allows selling when markets are favorable. [[Wikipedia:Vacuum packaging|Vacuum packaging]] of block-shaped cheeses and [[Wikipedia:gas-flushing|gas-flushing]] of plastic bags with mixtures of [[carbon dioxide]] and [[nitrogen]] are used for storage and [[:en:Distribution_(marketing)#Distribution_strategies|mass distribution]] of cheeses in the 21st century.

== Etymology ==
[[File:Hartkaese HardCheeses.jpg|thumb|Various hard cheeses]]
The word ''cheese'' comes from [[:en:Latin alphabet|Latin]] ''{{lang|la|caseus}}'', from which the modern word [[casein]] is also derived. The earliest source is from the [[:en:proto-Indo-European language|proto-Indo-European]] root ''*kwat-'', which means "to [[Fermentation in food processing|ferment]], become sour". That gave rise to ''{{lang|ang|cīese}}'' or ''{{lang|ang|cēse}}'' (in [[Wikipedia:Old English|Old English]]) and ''{{lang|enm|chese}}'' (in [[Wikipedia:Middle English|Middle English]]). Similar words are shared by other [[Wikipedia:West Germanic languages|West Germanic languages]]—[[:en:West Frisian language|West Frisian]] ''{{lang|fy|tsiis}}'', [[:en:Dutch language|Dutch]] ''{{lang|nl|kaas}}'', German ''{{lang|de|Käse}}'', [[Wikipedia:Old High German|Old High German]] ''{{lang|goh|chāsi}}''—all from the reconstructed West-Germanic form ''*kāsī'', which in turn is an early borrowing from Latin.

The ''[[Wikipedia:Online Etymological Dictionary|Online Etymological Dictionary]]'' states that "cheese" comes from:<blockquote>Old English {{lang|ang|cyse}} (West Saxon), {{lang|ang|cese}} (Anglian) ... from West Germanic *kasjus (source also of Old Saxon ''kasi'', Old High German ''{{lang|goh|chasi}}'', German ''{{lang|de|Käse}}'', Middle Dutch ''{{lang|dum|case}}'', Dutch ''{{lang|nl|kaas}}''), from Latin ''{{lang|la|caseus}}'' [for] "cheese" (source of Italian ''{{lang|it|cacio}}'', Spanish ''{{lang|es|queso}}'', Irish ''{{lang|ga|caise}}'', Welsh ''{{lang|cy|caws}}'').</blockquote>The ''Online Etymological Dictionary'' states that the word is of:
<blockquote>unknown origin; perhaps from a PIE root *kwat- "to ferment, become sour" (source also of Prakrit {{lang|pra|chasi}} "buttermilk;" Old Church Slavonic {{lang|cu|kvasu}} "leaven; [[fermented drink]]," {{lang|cu|kyselu}} "sour," -{{lang|cu|kyseti}} "to turn sour;" Czech {{lang|cs|kysati}} "to turn sour, rot;" Sanskrit kvathati "boils, seethes;" Gothic hwaþjan "foam"). Also compare fromage. Old Norse {{lang|non|ostr}}, Danish {{lang|da|ost}}, Swedish {{lang|sv|ost}} are related to Latin {{lang|la|ius}} "broth, sauce, juice."</blockquote>When the Romans began to make hard cheeses for their [[:en:Legionary|legionaries]]' supplies, a new word started to be used: ''{{lang|la|formaticum}}'', from ''{{lang|la|caseus formatus}}'', or "molded cheese" (as in "formed", not "moldy"). It is from this word that the French ''{{lang|fr|fromage}}'', standard Italian ''{{lang|it|formaggio}}'', [[:en:Catalan language|Catalan]] ''{{lang|ca|formatge}}'', [[:en:Breton language|Breton]] ''{{lang|br|fourmaj}}'', and [[:en:Occitan language|Occitan]] ''{{lang|oc|fromatge}}'' (or ''{{lang|oc|formatge}}'') are derived. Of the Romance languages, Spanish, [[:en:Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[:en:Romanian language|Romanian]], [[:en:Tuscan dialect|Tuscan]] and Southern Italian dialects use words derived from ''{{lang|la|caseus}}'' (''{{lang|es|queso}}'', ''{{lang|pt|queijo}}'', ''{{lang|ro|caș}}'' and ''{{lang|nap|caso}}'' for example). The word ''cheese'' itself is occasionally employed in a sense that means "molded" or "formed". ''[[Head cheese]]'' uses the word in this sense. The term "cheese" is also used as a noun, verb and adjective in a [[#Figurative expressions|number of figurative expressions]] (e.g., "the big cheese", "to be cheesed off" and "cheesy lyrics").

== History ==
{{Main|History of cheese}}

=== Origins ===
[[File:Ricotta affumicata della sila.jpg|thumb|A piece of soft curd cheese, oven-baked to increase [[Wikipedia:shelf life|shelf life]]]]
Cheese is an ancient food whose origins [[:en:prehistory|predate recorded history]]. There is no conclusive evidence indicating where cheesemaking originated, whether in Europe, Central Asia or the Middle East. Earliest proposed dates for the origin of cheesemaking range from around 8000 BCE, when sheep were first [[:en:domestication|domesticated]]. Since animal skins and inflated internal organs have, since ancient times, provided storage vessels for a range of foodstuffs, it is probable that the process of cheese making was discovered accidentally by storing milk in a container made from the stomach of an animal, resulting in the milk being turned to [[curd]] and [[whey]] by the rennet from the stomach. There is a [[Wikipedia:legend|legend]]—with variations—about the discovery of cheese by an Arab trader who used this method of storing milk.

The earliest evidence of cheesemaking in the archaeological record dates back to 5500&nbsp;BCE and is found in what is now [[Wikipedia:Kuyavia|Kuyavia]], Poland, where strainers coated with [[:en:buttermilk|milk-fat]] molecules have been found.

Cheesemaking may have begun independently of this by the pressing and salting of curdled milk to preserve it. Observation that the effect of making cheese in an animal stomach gave more solid and better-textured curds may have led to the deliberate addition of rennet. Early [[:en:archeology|archeological]] evidence of [[Egyptian cheese]] has been found in [[:en:Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] tomb murals, dating to about 2000&nbsp;BCE. A 2018 scientific paper stated that the world's oldest cheese, dating to approximately 1200&nbsp;BCE (3200 years before present), was found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

The earliest cheeses were likely quite sour and salty, similar in texture to rustic [[cottage cheese]] or [[feta]], a crumbly, flavorful Greek cheese. Cheese produced in Europe, where climates are cooler than the Middle East, required less salt for preservation. With less salt and acidity, the cheese became a suitable environment for useful [[microbe]]s and molds, giving aged cheeses their respective flavors. The earliest ever discovered preserved cheese was found in the Taklamakan Desert in [[Wikipedia:Xinjiang|Xinjiang]], China, dating back as early as 1615&nbsp;BCE (3600 years before present).

=== Ancient Greece and Rome ===
[[File:Formaggi.JPG|thumb|Cheese in a market in [[List of Italian cheeses|Italy]]]]
Ancient [[Wikipedia:Greek mythology|Greek mythology]] credited [[Wikipedia:Aristaeus|Aristaeus]] with the discovery of cheese. [[Wikipedia:Homer|Homer]]'s ''[[Wikipedia:Odyssey|Odyssey]]'' (8th century BCE) describes the [[Wikipedia:Cyclops|Cyclops]] making and storing sheep's and goats' milk cheese (translation by [[:en:Samuel Butler (novelist)|Samuel Butler]]):

{{quote|We soon reached his cave, but he was out shepherding, so we went inside and took stock of all that we could see. His cheese-racks were loaded with cheeses, and he had more lambs and kids than his pens could hold...<br />
When he had so done he sat down and milked his ewes and goats, all in due course, and then let each of them have her own young. He curdled half the milk and set it aside in wicker strainers.
}}

[[Wikipedia:Columella|Columella]]'s ''De Re Rustica'' (c.&nbsp;65&nbsp;CE) details a cheesemaking process involving rennet coagulation, pressing of the curd, salting, and aging. According to [[Wikipedia:Pliny the Elder|Pliny the Elder]], it had become a sophisticated enterprise by the time the [[:en:Ancient Rome|Roman Empire]] came into being. 
Pliny the Elder also mentions in his writings ''[[Swiss cheeses and dairy products|Caseus Helveticus]]'', a hard [[Sbrinz]]-like cheese produced by the [[Wikipedia:Helvetii|Helvetii]]. 
[[:en:Pliny the Elder|Pliny's]] [[:en:Natural History (Pliny)|''Natural History'']] (77 &nbsp;CE) devotes a chapter (XI, 97) to describing the diversity of cheeses enjoyed by Romans of the early Empire. He stated that the best cheeses came from the villages near [[Wikipedia:Nîmes|Nîmes]], but did not keep long and had to be eaten fresh. Cheeses of the [[Wikipedia:Alps|Alps]] and [[Wikipedia:Apennines|Apennines]] were as remarkable for their variety then as now. A [[:en:Ligures|Ligurian]] cheese was noted for being made mostly from sheep's milk, and some cheeses produced nearby were stated to weigh as much as a thousand pounds each. Goats' milk cheese was a recent taste in Rome, improved over the "medicinal taste" of [[Wikipedia:Gaul|Gaul]]'s similar cheeses by [[:en:smoking (cooking)|smoking]]. Of cheeses from overseas, Pliny preferred those of [[Wikipedia:Bithynia|Bithynia]] in Asia Minor.

=== Post-Roman Europe ===
[[File:9-alimenti, formaggi,Taccuino Sanitatis, Casanatense 4182..jpg|thumb|Cheese, [[Wikipedia:Tacuinum sanitatis|Tacuinum sanitatis]] Casanatensis (14th century)]]
As Romanized populations encountered unfamiliar newly settled neighbors, bringing their own cheese-making traditions, their own flocks and their own unrelated words for ''cheese'', cheeses in Europe diversified further, with various locales developing their own distinctive traditions and products. As long-distance trade collapsed, only travelers would encounter unfamiliar cheeses: [[Wikipedia:Charlemagne|Charlemagne]]'s first encounter with a white cheese that had an edible rind forms one of the constructed anecdotes of [[:en:Notker the Stammerer|Notker]]'s ''Life'' of the Emperor.

The British Cheese Board claims that Britain has approximately 700 distinct local cheeses; 
France and Italy have perhaps 400 each (a French proverb holds there is a different French cheese for every day of the year, and [[Wikipedia:Charles de Gaulle|Charles de Gaulle]] once asked "how can you govern a country in which there are 246 kinds of cheese?"). Still, the advancement of the cheese art in Europe was slow during the centuries after Rome's fall. Many cheeses popular today were first recorded in the late [[Wikipedia:Middle Ages|Middle Ages]] or after—cheeses like [[Cheddar cheese|Cheddar]] around 1500, [[Parmesan cheese|Parmesan]] in 1597, [[Gouda cheese|Gouda]] in 1697, and [[Camembert]] in 1791.

In 1546, ''[[Wikipedia:The Proverbs of John Heywood|The Proverbs of John Heywood]]'' claimed "[[:en:The Moon is made of green cheese|the moon is made of a green cheese]]" (''Greene'' may refer here not to the color, as many now think, but to being new or unaged). Variations on this sentiment were long repeated and [[Wikipedia:NASA|NASA]] exploited this myth for an [[Wikipedia:April Fools' Day|April Fools' Day]] spoof announcement in 2006.

=== Modern era ===
[[File:Cheese display, Cambridge MA - DSC05391.jpg|thumb| Cheese display in grocery store, [[Wikipedia:Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge, Massachusetts]], United States]]
Until its modern spread along with European culture, cheese was nearly unheard of in east Asian cultures and in the pre-Columbian Americas and had only limited use in sub-Mediterranean Africa, mainly being widespread and popular only in Europe, the Middle East, the [[Wikipedia:Indian subcontinent|Indian subcontinent]], and areas influenced by those cultures. But with the spread, first of European imperialism, and later of Euro-American culture and food, cheese has gradually become known and increasingly popular worldwide.

The first factory for the industrial production of cheese opened in Switzerland in 1815, but large-scale production first found real success in the United States. Credit usually goes to Jesse Williams, a dairy farmer from [[:en:Rome, New York|Rome]], New York, who in 1851 started making cheese in an [[:en:assembly line|assembly-line]] fashion using the milk from neighboring farms; this made cheddar cheese one of the first US [[:en:Food industry|industrial foods]].  Within decades, hundreds of such commercial dairy associations existed.

The 1860s saw the beginnings of mass-produced rennet, and by the turn of the century scientists were producing pure microbial cultures. Before then, bacteria in cheesemaking had come from the environment or from recycling an earlier batch's whey; the pure cultures meant a more standardized cheese could be produced.

Factory-made cheese overtook traditional cheesemaking in the [[Wikipedia:World War II|World War II]] era, and factories have been the source of most cheese in America and Europe ever since. By 2012, cheese was one of the most [[shoplifted]] items from supermarkets worldwide.

== Production ==

{{Infobox agricultural production|plant=cheese|country6={{NLD}}|world=23.3|country10={{RUS}}|amount10=0.48|country9={{EGY}}|amount9=0.53|country8={{CAN}}|amount8=0.60|country7={{POL}}|amount7=0.77|amount6=0.95|amount1=9.83|country5={{ITA}}|amount5=1.30|country4={{FRA}}|amount4=1.61|country3={{GER}}|amount3=2.56|country2={{USA}}|amount2=6.16|country1={{EU}} (UK not included)|year=2019}}In 2014, world production of cheese from whole cow milk was 18.7&nbsp;million [[tonne]]s, with the United States accounting for 29% (5.4&nbsp;million tonnes) of the world total followed by Germany, France and Italy as major producers (table).<ref name="faostat14">{{cite web | url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QP | title=World production of cheese (from whole cow milk) in 2014; Browse Data/Livestock Processed/World Regions/Production Quantity from pick lists | publisher=[[United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization]], Statistics Division (FAOSTAT) | date=2017 | access-date=June 2, 2017 | archive-date=November 12, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112130804/http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QP | url-status=live }}</ref>

Other 2014 world totals for processed cheese include:<ref name=faostat14 />
* from skimmed cow milk, 2.4 million tonnes (leading country, Germany, 845,500 tonnes)
* from goat milk, 523,040 tonnes (leading country, [[South Sudan]], 110,750 tonnes)
* from sheep milk, 680,302 tonnes (leading country, [[Greece]], 125,000 tonnes)
* from [[water buffalo|buffalo]] milk, 282,127 tonnes (leading country, [[Egypt]], 254,000 tonnes)

During 2015, Germany, France, Netherlands and Italy exported 10–14% of their produced cheese.<ref name="wte">{{cite web | url=http://www.worldstopexports.com/cheese-exports-country/ | title=Cheese Exports by Country in 2015 | publisher=World's Top Exports | date=April 12, 2016 | access-date=June 2, 2016 | last=Workman | first=Daniel | archive-date=April 13, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413194647/http://www.worldstopexports.com/cheese-exports-country/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The United States was a marginal exporter (5.3% of total cow milk production), as most of its output was for the domestic market.<ref name=wte />

The [[carbon footprint]] of a kilogram of cheese ranges from 6 to 12&nbsp;kg of [[CO2eq|CO<sub>2</sub>eq]], depending on the amount of milk used; thus it is generally lower than beef or lamb but higher than other foods.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carbon footprint of meat, egg, cheese and plant-based protein sources |url=https://wwwwwfse.cdn.triggerfish.cloud/uploads/2021/11/carbon-footprint-of-meat-egg-cheese-and-plant-based-protein-sources_slu.pdf |page=24 |access-date=July 18, 2022 |archive-date=July 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220718131226/https://wwwwwfse.cdn.triggerfish.cloud/uploads/2021/11/carbon-footprint-of-meat-egg-cheese-and-plant-based-protein-sources_slu.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Consumption ===
France, Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Germany were the highest consumers of cheese in 2014, averaging {{convert|25|kg|abbr=on}} per person per annum.<ref name="cdic">{{cite web|url=http://www.dairyinfo.gc.ca/index_e.php?s1=dff-fcil&s2=cons&s3=consglo&s4=tc-ft|title=Cheese Consumption – Kilograms per Capita|publisher=Canadian Dairy Information Centre|access-date=June 2, 2016|date=March 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114173913/http://www.dairyinfo.gc.ca/index_e.php?s1=dff-fcil&s2=cons&s3=consglo&s4=tc-ft|archive-date=January 14, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Processing ==
{{Main|Cheesemaking}}
{{more citations needed|section|date=February 2013}}

=== Curdling ===
[[File:Production of cheese 1.jpg|thumb|During industrial production of [[Emmental (cheese)|Emmental]] cheese, the as-yet-undrained curd is broken by rotating mixers.]]
A required step in cheesemaking is separating the milk into solid [[curd]]s and liquid [[whey]]. Usually this is done by acidifying ([[souring]]) the milk and adding [[rennet]]. The acidification can be accomplished directly by the addition of an acid, such as vinegar, in a few cases ([[paneer]], [[queso fresco]]). More commonly [[starter bacteria]] are employed instead which convert [[Lactose|milk sugars]] into [[lactic acid]]. The same bacteria (and the [[enzyme]]s they produce) also play a large role in the eventual flavor of aged cheeses. Most cheeses are made with starter bacteria from the ''[[Lactococci|Lactococcus]]'', ''[[Lactobacilli|Lactobacillus]]'', or ''[[Streptococci|Streptococcus]]'' genera. [[Cheeses of Switzerland|Swiss]] starter cultures also include ''[[Propionibacter shermani]]'', which produces [[propionic acid]] and carbon dioxide gas bubbles during aging, giving [[Swiss cheese (North America)|Swiss cheese]] or [[Emmental cheese|Emmental]] its holes (called "[[Eyes (cheese)|eyes]]").

Some fresh cheeses are curdled only by acidity, but most cheeses also use rennet. Rennet sets the cheese into a strong and rubbery [[gel]] compared to the fragile curds produced by acidic coagulation alone. It also allows curdling at a lower acidity—important because flavor-making bacteria are inhibited in high-acidity environments. In general, softer, smaller, fresher cheeses are curdled with a greater proportion of acid to rennet than harder, larger, longer-aged varieties.

While rennet was traditionally produced via extraction from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber of slaughtered young, unweaned calves, most rennet used today in cheesemaking is produced [[recombinant DNA|recombinantly]].<ref name="GMO Database">{{cite web|url=http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/enzymes/83.chymosin.html |publisher=GMO Compass |title=Chymosin |access-date=March 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326181805/http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/enzymes/83.chymosin.html |archive-date=March 26, 2015 }}</ref> The majority of the applied chymosin is retained in the whey and, at most, may be present in cheese in trace quantities. In ripe cheese, the type and provenance of chymosin used in production cannot be determined.<ref name="GMO Database" />

=== Curd processing ===
At this point, the cheese has set into a very moist gel. Some soft cheeses are now essentially complete: they are drained, salted, and packaged. For most of the rest, the curd is cut into small cubes. This allows water to drain from the individual pieces of curd.

Some hard cheeses are then heated to temperatures in the range of {{convert|35|–|55|C|F}}. This forces more whey from the cut curd. It also changes the taste of the finished cheese, affecting both the bacterial culture and the milk chemistry. Cheeses that are heated to the higher temperatures are usually made with [[thermophilic]] starter bacteria that survive this step—either ''[[Lactobacilli]]'' or ''[[streptococcus salivarius|Streptococci]]''.

Salt has roles in cheese besides adding a salty flavor. It preserves cheese from spoiling, draws moisture from the curd, and firms cheese's texture in an interaction with its [[protein]]s. Some cheeses are salted from the outside with dry salt or brine washes. Most cheeses have the salt mixed directly into the curds.

[[File:Cheeseinthenetherlands.JPG|thumb|Cheese factory in the [[List of Dutch cheeses|Netherlands]]]]

Other techniques influence a cheese's texture and flavor. Some examples are:
* Stretching: ([[Mozzarella]], [[Provolone]]) the curd is stretched and kneaded in hot water, developing a stringy, fibrous body.
* [[Cheddaring]]: ([[Cheddar cheese|Cheddar]], other English cheeses) the cut curd is repeatedly piled up, pushing more moisture away. The curd is also mixed (or ''milled'') for a long time, taking the sharp edges off the cut curd pieces and influencing the final product's texture.
* Washing: ([[Edam cheese|Edam]], [[Gouda cheese|Gouda]], [[Colby cheese|Colby]]) the curd is washed in warm water, lowering its acidity and making for a milder-tasting cheese.

Most cheeses achieve their final shape when the curds are pressed into a mold or form. The harder the cheese, the more pressure is applied. The pressure drives out moisture—the molds are designed to allow water to escape—and unifies the curds into a single solid body.

=== Ripening ===
{{Main|Cheese ripening}}
[[File:Parmigiano reggiano factory.jpg|thumb|[[Parmigiano-Reggiano]] in a modern factory]]
A newborn cheese is usually salty yet bland in flavor and, for harder varieties, rubbery in texture. These qualities are sometimes enjoyed—[[cheese curds]] are eaten on their own—but normally cheeses are left to rest under controlled conditions. This aging period (also called ripening, or, from the French, ''affinage'') lasts from a few days to several years. As a cheese ages, microbes and enzymes transform texture and intensify flavor. This transformation is largely a result of the breakdown of casein proteins and [[butterfat|milkfat]] into a complex mix of [[amino acid]]s, [[amine]]s, and [[fatty acid]]s.

Some cheeses have additional bacteria or [[Mold (fungus)|mold]]s intentionally introduced before or during aging. In traditional cheesemaking, these microbes might be already present in the aging room; they are allowed to settle and grow on the stored cheeses. More often today, prepared cultures are used, giving more consistent results and putting fewer constraints on the environment where the cheese ages. These cheeses include soft ripened cheeses such as [[Brie (cheese)|Brie]] and [[Camembert (cheese)|Camembert]], blue cheeses such as [[Roquefort (cheese)|Roquefort]], [[Stilton (cheese)|Stilton]], [[Gorgonzola (cheese)|Gorgonzola]], and [[rind-washed cheese]]s such as [[Limburger cheese|Limburger]].

== Types ==
{{Main|Types of cheese}}
There are many types of cheese, with around 500 different varieties recognized by the International Dairy Federation,<ref name=Fundamentals>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-oRp5VCVTQQC&pg=PA388|title=Fundamentals of cheese science|author1=Patrick F. Fox|page=388|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-8342-1260-2|year=2000|access-date=September 12, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107133321/https://books.google.com/books?id=-oRp5VCVTQQC&pg=PA388|url-status=live}}</ref> more than 400 identified by Walter and Hargrove, more than 500 by Burkhalter, and more than 1,000 by Sandine and Elliker.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U_mj5DANAeoC&q=Walter+and+hargrove+cheese&pg=PA1|title=Cheese: chemistry, physics and microbiology, Volume 1|author1=Patrick F. Fox|page=1|publisher=Springer|access-date=March 23, 2011|isbn=978-0-8342-1338-8|year=1999|archive-date=June 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610061345/https://books.google.com/books?id=U_mj5DANAeoC&q=Walter+and+hargrove+cheese&pg=PA1|url-status=live}}</ref> The varieties may be grouped or classified into types according to criteria such as length of ageing, texture, methods of making, fat content, animal milk, country or region of origin, etc.—with these criteria either being used singly or in combination,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dairyscience.info/cheese-manufacture/114-classification-of-cheese-types-using-calcium-and-ph.html|title=Classification of cheese types using calcium and pH|publisher=www.dairyscience.info|access-date=March 23, 2011|archive-date=July 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723013948/http://www.dairyscience.info/cheese-manufacture/114-classification-of-cheese-types-using-calcium-and-ph.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but with no single method being universally used.<ref>Barbara Ensrud (1981). ''The Pocket Guide to Cheese'', Lansdowne Press/Quarto Marketing Ltd., {{ISBN|0-7018-1483-7}}</ref> The method most commonly and traditionally used is based on moisture content, which is then further discriminated by fat content and curing or ripening methods.<ref name=Fundamentals /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egr.msu.edu/~steffe/handbook/tbl141.html|title=Classification of Cheese|publisher=www.egr.msu.edu|access-date=March 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124103458/http://www.egr.msu.edu/~steffe/handbook/tbl141.html|archive-date=November 24, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some attempts have been made to rationalise the classification of cheese—a scheme was proposed by Pieter Walstra which uses the primary and secondary starter combined with moisture content, and Walter and Hargrove suggested classifying by production methods which produces 18 types, which are then further grouped by moisture content.<ref name=Fundamentals />

<gallery mode="packed">

File:Wikicheese - Brie de Melun - 20150515 - 015.jpg|[[Brie]] cheese
File:Bleu de Gex.jpg|[[Bleu de Gex]]
File:Maccagno (cheese).jpg|[[Maccagno]] cheese
File:Berkswell cheese.jpg|[[Berkswell Cheese]]
File:Maroilles (cheese).jpg|[[Maroilles cheese]]
File:Mozzarella cheese.jpg|[[Mozzarella]]
File:Queso fresco.JPG|[[Queso blanco|Queso fresco]]
File:Smoked Gruyère cheese.jpg|[[Smoked cheese]]
File:Bergader Almkäse Chili 01 WikiCheese Lokal K.jpg|Bergader Almkase cheese
File:00928 Beskider Käse aus Schafsmilch 2013; Sheep's-milk cheeses from Poland; Northern Subcarpathians.JPG|Sheep milk cheese from Poland
File:Cœurs de Neufchâtel 01.jpg|[[Neufchâtel cheese|Cœur de Neufchâtel]]
File:Cowgirl Creamery Point Reyes - Devil’s Gulch cheese.jpg|[[Cowgirl Creamery|Devil's Gulch]] cheese
File:Camembert (Cheese).jpg|[[Camembert]]
File:WikiCheese - Saint-Julien aux noix 01.jpg|Saint-Julien aux noix
File:Bavaria blu 03 WikiCheese Lokal K.jpg|Bavaria blu cheese
File:SmallEdamCheese.jpg|[[Edam cheese|Edam]]
File:Sainte-Maure de touraine 03.jpg|[[Sainte-Maure de Touraine]]
File:WikiCheese - Tentation du Vercors - 20150619 - 001.jpg|Tentation du Vercors
File:Bleu d'Élizabeth.jpg|[[Bleu d'Élizabeth]]
File:Météorite fromage.jpg|Météorite fromage
File:Ricotta salata e zucchina.jpg|[[Ricotta]]
File:WikiCheese - Rigotte de Condrieu - 20150619 - 001.jpg|[[Rigotte de Condrieu]]
File:Parmigiano Reggiano DOP Billa.jpg|[[Parmigiano-Reggiano]]
File:Chabichou du Poitou 01.jpg|[[Chabichou|Chabichou du Poitou]]
File:Grünschimmelkäse Österkron.jpg|Österkron blue cheese
File:Reblochon 01.jpg|[[Reblochon]]
File:Pouligny-saint-pierre (fromage) 02.jpg|[[Pouligny-Saint-Pierre cheese|Saint-Pierre Cheese]]
File:Fourme d'Ambert 01.jpg|[[Fourme d'Ambert]]
File:Blue Stilton 02.jpg|[[Stilton cheese]]
File:Langres fromage AOP coupe.jpg|[[Langres cheese|Langres]]
File:Emmental (fromage) 01.jpg|[[Emmental cheese|Emmental]]
File:2014-12-08 Bergkäse mit Antipasta 5713.jpg|[[Bergkäse]]
File:2015-01-25 Tobermory, Isle of Mull Cheese Sgriob-ruadh Farm - hu - 7900.jpg|[[Isle of Mull Cheddar|Isle of Mull]] Cheese
File:Zacharie Cloutier (fromage).jpg|Zacharie cheese
File:Sauermilchkaese diverse.jpg|Diverse [[Sour milk cheese|Sauermilchkäse sour cheese]]
File:Cowgirl Creamery Point Reyes - Red Hawk cheese.jpg|[[Red Hawk cheese]]
File:Gruyere alpage th wa.jpg|[[Gruyère cheese|Gruyère]]
File:Wikicheese - Brie de Nangis - 20150515 - 018.jpg|Brie de Nangis
File:Rouelle du Tarn.jpg|Rouelle du Tarn
File:Comte AOP.jpg|[[Comté cheese|Comté]]
</gallery>

== Cooking and eating ==
[[File:Saganaki at the Parthenon Restaurant in Chicago.MOV.webm|thumb|right|200px|[[Saganaki]], lit on fire, served in Chicago]]
At [[refrigerator]] temperatures, the fat in a piece of cheese is as hard as unsoftened butter, and its protein structure is stiff as well. Flavor and odor compounds are less easily liberated when cold. For improvements in flavor and texture, it is widely advised that cheeses be allowed to warm up to [[room temperature]] before eating. If the cheese is further warmed, to {{convert|26|–|32|C|F}}, the fats will begin to "sweat out" as they go beyond soft to fully liquid.<ref name="mcgee">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mQgklAEACAAJ | title=On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen | publisher=Scribner | author=McGee, Harold | year=2004 | isbn=978-0-684-80001-1 | access-date=September 12, 2020 | archive-date=October 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028015937/https://books.google.com/books?id=mQgklAEACAAJ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Above room temperatures, most hard cheeses melt. Rennet-curdled cheeses have a [[gel]]-like protein matrix that is broken down by heat. When enough protein bonds are broken, the cheese itself turns from a solid to a viscous liquid. Soft, high-moisture cheeses will melt at around {{convert|55|C}}, while hard, low-moisture cheeses such as Parmesan remain solid until they reach about {{convert|82|C}}.<ref name=mcgee /> Acid-set cheeses, including [[halloumi cheese|halloumi]], [[paneer]], some whey cheeses and many varieties of fresh [[goat cheese]], have a protein structure that remains intact at high temperatures. When cooked, these cheeses just get firmer as water evaporates.

Some cheeses, like [[raclette]], melt smoothly; many tend to become stringy or suffer from a separation of their fats. Many of these can be coaxed into melting smoothly in the presence of acids or [[starch]]. [[Fondue]], with wine providing the acidity, is a good example of a smoothly melted cheese dish.<ref name=mcgee /> Elastic stringiness is a quality that is sometimes enjoyed, in dishes including [[pizza]] and [[Welsh rarebit]]. Even a melted cheese eventually turns solid again, after enough moisture is cooked off. The saying "you can't melt cheese twice" (meaning "some things can only be done once") refers to the fact that oils leach out during the first melting and are gone, leaving the non-meltable solids behind.

As its temperature continues to rise, cheese will [[Non-enzymatic browning|brown]] and eventually burn. Browned, partially burned cheese has a particular distinct flavor of its own and is frequently used in cooking (e.g., sprinkling atop items before baking them).

=== Cheeseboard ===
{{See also|Cheese and crackers}}
{{redirect|Cheese plate|dishware|Plate (dishware)#Side plate}}
[[File:Cheese, wine and bread in a sidewalk cafe in Paris, June 2015.jpg|thumb|Various cheeses on a cheeseboard served with wine for lunch]]

A '''cheeseboard''' (or [[cheese course]]) may be served at the end of a meal before or following dessert, or replacing the last course. The British tradition is to have cheese after dessert, accompanied by sweet wines like [[Port wine|Port]]. In France, cheese is consumed before dessert, with robust red wine.<ref name="Finishing in style">{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/3335258/Finishing-in-style.html |title=Finishing in style |last=Xanthe |first=Clay |date=November 18, 2006 |work=The Telegraph |access-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011172957/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/3335258/Finishing-in-style.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite web|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/jun/27/how-eat-cheese-and-biscuits|title=How to eat: cheese and biscuits|date=June 27, 2012|access-date=January 3, 2017|archive-date=June 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609031000/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/jun/27/how-eat-cheese-and-biscuits|url-status=live}}</ref> A cheeseboard typically has contrasting cheeses with accompaniments, such as crackers, biscuits, grapes, nuts, [[celery]] or [[chutney]].<ref name=guardian/> A typical cheeseboard may contain four to six cheeses, for example: Mature [[Cheddar cheese|Cheddar]] or [[Comté cheese|Comté]] (hard: cow's milk cheeses); [[Brie]] or [[Camembert]] (soft: cow's milk); a blue cheese such as [[Stilton cheese|Stilton]] (hard: cow's milk), [[Roquefort]] (medium: ewe's milk) or [[Bleu d'Auvergne]] (medium-soft cow's milk); a soft/medium-soft goat's cheese (e.g. [[Sainte-Maure de Touraine]], [[Pantysgawn]], [[Crottin de Chavignol]]).<ref name=guardian/>
A cheeseboard {{convert|70|ft|m}} long was used to feature the variety of cheeses manufactured in [[Wisconsin]],<ref>{{cite web|author1=Clara Olshansky|title=Wisconsin Cheesemakers Just Created the World's Longest Cheeseboard|url=https://www.foodandwine.com/news/worlds-largest-cheese-board|publisher=Food and Wine|access-date=May 25, 2018|date=March 16, 2018|archive-date=May 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525205120/https://www.foodandwine.com/news/worlds-largest-cheese-board|url-status=live}}</ref> where the [[Wisconsin State Legislature|state legislature]] recognizes a "[[cheesehead]]" hat as a state symbol.<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Assembly Joint Resolution 89: commending Ralph Bruno, the creator of the cheesehead hat|url=https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/related/proposals/ajr89/_16|publisher=Wisconsin State Legislature|access-date=May 25, 2018|date=January 19, 2012|archive-date=May 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526041214/https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/related/proposals/ajr89/_16|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Nutrition and health ==
The nutritional value of cheese varies widely. Cottage cheese may consist of 4% fat and 11% protein while some whey cheeses are 15% fat and 11% protein, and triple-crème cheeses are 36% fat and 7% protein.<ref name="nd">{{cite web | url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-cheese001000000000000000000.html | title=Nutrition facts for various cheeses per 100&nbsp;g | publisher=Conde Nast; republished from the [[USDA National Nutrient Database]], version SR-21 | work=Nutritiondata.com | date=2014 | access-date=June 1, 2016 | archive-date=June 4, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604105550/http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-cheese001000000000000000000.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In general, cheese is a rich source (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of [[calcium]], [[protein]], [[phosphorus]], [[sodium]] and [[saturated fat]]. A 28-gram (one [[ounce]]) serving of cheddar cheese contains about {{convert|7|g}} of protein and 202 milligrams of calcium.<ref name=nd /> Nutritionally, cheese is essentially concentrated milk, but altered by the culturing and aging processes: it takes about {{convert|200|g}} of milk to provide that much protein, and {{convert|150|g}} to equal the calcium, though values for water-soluble vitamins and minerals can vary widely.<ref name=nd />
{{Nutrient contents of common cheeses}}

=== Cardiovascular disease ===

National health organizations, such as the [[American Heart Association]], [[British Dietetic Association|Association of UK Dietitians]], British [[National Health Service]], and [[Mayo Clinic]], among others, recommend that cheese consumption be minimized, replaced in snacks and meals by plant foods, or restricted to low-fat cheeses to reduce caloric intake and blood levels of [[low-density lipoprotein|LDL fat]], which is a [[risk factor]] for [[cardiovascular diseases]].<ref name="aha2017">{{cite journal|last1=Sacks|first1=Frank M.|last2=Lichtenstein|first2=Alice H.|last3=Wu|first3=Jason H.Y.|last4=Appel|first4=Lawrence J.|last5=Creager|first5=Mark A.|last6=Kris-Etherton|first6=Penny M.|last7=Miller|first7=Michael|last8=Rimm|first8=Eric B.|last9=Rudel|first9=Lawrence L.|last10=Robinson|first10=Jennifer G.|last11=Stone|first11=Neil J.|last12=Van Horn|first12=Linda V.|title=Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association|journal=Circulation|date=June 15, 2017|pages=e1–e23|doi=10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510|pmid=28620111|volume=136|issue=3|s2cid=367602|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=BDA>{{cite web |title=Food Fact Sheet - Cholesterol |url=http://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/cholesterol.pdf |publisher=Association of UK Dietitians |access-date=July 28, 2019 |date=December 1, 2018 |archive-date=February 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201061458/http://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/cholesterol.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name = NHS>{{cite web |title=Eat less saturated fat |url=http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/goodfood/pages/eat-less-saturated-fat.aspx |publisher=[[National Health Service]] |date=June 1, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2019 |archive-date=April 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424075505/http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/goodfood/pages/eat-less-saturated-fat.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="mayo">{{cite web |title=Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702 |publisher=Mayo Clinic |access-date=July 28, 2019 |date=January 9, 2019 |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727211849/https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702 |url-status=live }}</ref> There is no [[evidence-based medicine|high-quality clinical evidence]] that cheese consumption lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases.<ref name=aha2017/>

=== Pasteurization ===
A number of food safety agencies around the world have warned of the risks of raw-milk cheeses. The U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] states that soft raw-milk cheeses can cause "serious infectious diseases including [[listeriosis]], [[brucellosis]], [[salmonellosis]] and [[tuberculosis]]".<ref name=consumeraffairs>[http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/fda_cheese.html FDA Warns About Soft Cheese Health Risk"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122142025/http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/fda_cheese.html |date=January 22, 2013 }}. [[Consumer Affairs]]. Retrieved October 15, 2005.</ref> It is U.S. law since 1944 that all raw-milk cheeses (including imports since 1951) must be aged at least 60&nbsp;days. Australia has a wide ban on raw-milk cheeses as well, though in recent years exceptions have been made for Swiss [[Gruyère cheese|Gruyère]], [[Emmental cheese|Emmental]] and [[Sbrinz]], and for French [[Roquefort]].<ref name=mercer>{{cite web|url=http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/news/ng.asp?id=62799-fsanz-roquefort-speciality-cheese|title=Australia lifts Roquefort cheese safety ban|author=Chris Mercer|publisher=ap-foodtechnology.com|date=September 23, 2005|access-date=October 22, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627105239/http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/news/ng.asp?id=62799-fsanz-roquefort-speciality-cheese|archive-date=June 27, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> There is a trend for cheeses to be pasteurized even when not required by law.

Pregnant women may face an additional risk from cheese; the U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] has warned pregnant women against eating soft-ripened cheeses and blue-veined cheeses, due to the [[listeria]] risk, which can cause miscarriage or harm the fetus.<ref name=americanpregnancy>[http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/listeria.html Listeria and Pregnancy.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060224100114/http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/listeria.html |date=February 24, 2006 }}. Retrieved February 28, 2006.</ref>

== Cultural attitudes ==
[[File:Cormeilles Market 9 Artlibre jnl.jpg|thumb|A cheese merchant in a French market]]
[[File:Oscypek sheeps cheese stalls, Zakopane.JPG|thumb|A traditional [[Polish food|Polish]] [[sheep's cheese]] market in [[Zakopane]], Poland]]
Although cheese is a vital source of nutrition in many regions of the world and it is extensively consumed in others, its use is not universal.

Cheese is rarely found in Southeast and [[East Asian cuisine]]s, presumably for historical reasons as dairy farming has historically been rare in these regions, due in part to low rates of [[Lactase persistence#Global spread of the lactase persistence phenotype|lactase persistence]]. Paneer (pronounced [pəniːr]) is a fresh cheese common in [[North India]] and [[Pakistan]]. It is an unaged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. Its acid-set form (cheese curd), before pressing, is called chhena. In [[Nepal]], the Dairy Development Corporation commercially manufactures cheese made from [[yak]] milk and a hard cheese made from either cow or yak milk known as [[chhurpi]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Neupaney|first1=D.|last2=Kim|first2=J.|last3=Ishioroshi|first3=M.|last4=Samejima|first4=K.|issue=2|year=1997|title=Study on Composition of Nepalese Cheeses, Yak Milk and Yak Cheese Whey|url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/milk/46/2/46_95/_pdf|journal=Milk Science|volume=46|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=August 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825061717/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/milk/46/2/46_95/_pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bhutan]] also produces a similar cheese called [[Datshi]] which is a staple in most Bhutanese curries.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nair |first=Anooja |last2=Choden |first2=Dechen |last3=Pradhan |first3=Monika |date=2022-04-21 |title=Chemical composition and microbial quality of Datshi and Zoety , unripen cottage cheese of Bhutan |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsn3.2715 |journal=Food Science & Nutrition |language=en |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=1385–1390 |doi=10.1002/fsn3.2715 |issn=2048-7177 |pmc=9094472 |pmid=35592292}}</ref> The national dish of [[Bhutan]], [[ema datshi]], is made from homemade yak or [[mare (horse)|mare]] milk cheese and hot peppers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inspiria.edu.in/how-to-make-ema-datshi-the-national-dish-of-bhutan/|title=How to Make Ema Datshi-the National Dish of Bhutan|date=February 26, 2015|website=Inspiria Knowledge Campus|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=August 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825060540/https://inspiria.edu.in/how-to-make-ema-datshi-the-national-dish-of-bhutan/|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Yunnan]], China, several ethnic minority groups produce [[Rushan (cheese)|Rushan]] and [[Rubing]] from cow's milk.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ethnorema.it/pdf/numero%201/BRYAN%20ALLEN%20and%20SILVIA%20ALLEN.pdf|title=Mozzarella of the East (Cheese-making and Bai culture)|last1=Allen|first1=Barry|last2=Allen|first2=Silvia|website=Ethnorêma|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=December 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202045840/http://www.ethnorema.it/pdf/numero%201/BRYAN%20ALLEN%20and%20SILVIA%20ALLEN.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Cheese consumption may be increasing in China, with annual sales doubling from 1996 to 2003 (to a still small 30 million [[United States dollar|U.S. dollars]] a year).<ref>{{cite journal|first=Rebecca|last=Buckman|title=Let Them Eat Cheese|volume=166|journal=[[Far Eastern Economic Review]]|year=2003|issue=49|page=41|url=http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/cultural/2003/1211chinacheese.htm|access-date=September 25, 2005|archive-date=September 23, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050923141039/http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/cultural/2003/1211chinacheese.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Certain kinds of Chinese preserved [[Bean curd#Fermented|bean curd]] are sometimes misleadingly referred to in English as "Chinese cheese" because of their texture and strong flavor.

Strict followers of the dietary laws of [[Islam]] and Judaism must avoid cheeses made with [[rennet]] from animals not slaughtered in a manner adhering to [[halal]] or [[kosher foods|kosher]] laws.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toronto.ca/health/nm_faq_halal_foods.htm|title=Frequently Asked Questions about Halal Foods|publisher=Toronto Public Health|access-date=October 15, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124105844/http://www.toronto.ca/health/nm_faq_halal_foods.htm|archive-date=November 24, 2005|url-status=dead}}</ref> Both faiths allow cheese made with vegetable-based rennet or with rennet made from animals that were processed in a halal or kosher manner. Many less orthodox Jews also believe that rennet undergoes enough processing to change its nature entirely and do not consider it to ever violate kosher law (see ''[[Kosher foods#Cheese|Cheese and kashrut]]''). As cheese is a dairy food, under kosher rules it cannot be eaten in the [[meat and milk|same meal with any meat]].

Rennet derived from animal slaughter, and thus cheese made with animal-derived rennet, is not vegetarian. Most widely available vegetarian cheeses are made using rennet produced by fermentation of the fungus ''[[Mucor miehei]]''.<ref name="mauseth">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YPA44UhBoJQC&q=vegetarian+cheeses+rennet+fermentation+fungi+Mucor+miehei&pg=PA432 | title=Plants and People | publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers | author=Mauseth, James D | year=2012 | page=432 | isbn=978-0-7637-8550-5 | access-date=October 8, 2020 | archive-date=October 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028015939/https://books.google.com/books?id=YPA44UhBoJQC&q=vegetarian+cheeses+rennet+fermentation+fungi+Mucor+miehei&pg=PA432 | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Vegan]]s and other dairy-avoiding vegetarians do not eat conventional cheese, but some [[vegan cheese|vegetable-based cheese substitutes]] ([[soybean|soy]] or [[almond]]) are used as substitutes.<ref name=mauseth />

Collecting cheese labels is called "[[tyrosemiophilia]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Cheese label|url=http://www.virtualroom.de/cheese.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404071451/http://www.virtualroom.de/cheese.htm|archive-date=April 4, 2009|access-date=May 1, 2010|publisher=Virtualroom.de}}</ref>

=== Odorous cheeses ===
Even in cultures with long cheese traditions, consumers may perceive some cheeses that are especially pungent-smelling, or [[Mold (fungus)|mold]]-bearing varieties such as [[Limburger cheese|Limburger]] or [[Roquefort (cheese)|Roquefort]], as unpalatable. Such cheeses are an [[acquired taste]] because they are processed using molds or [[microbiological culture]]s,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PC_O7u1NPZEC&q=how+limburger+cheese+is+processed+fermentation&pg=PA392 | title=Handbook of Food and Beverage Fermentation Technology: Food Science and Technology (Marcel Dekker), Vol 134 | publisher=CRC Press | vauthors=Hui YH, Meunier-Goddik L, Josephsen J, Nip WK, Stanfield PS | year=2004 | pages=392–93 | isbn=978-0-8247-5122-7 | access-date=October 8, 2020 | archive-date=October 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028015942/https://books.google.com/books?id=PC_O7u1NPZEC&q=how+limburger+cheese+is+processed+fermentation&pg=PA392 | url-status=live }}</ref> allowing odor and flavor molecules to resemble those in rotten foods. One author stated: "An aversion to the odor of decay has the obvious biological value of steering us away from possible food poisoning, so it is no wonder that an animal food that gives off whiffs of shoes and soil and the stable takes some getting used to".<ref name=mcgee />

=== Effect on sleep ===
There is some support from studies that dairy products can help with insomnia.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Komada|first1=Yoko|last2=Okajima|first2=Isa|last3=Kuwata|first3=Tamotsu|date=2020|title=The Effects of Milk and Dairy Products on Sleep: A Systematic Review.|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=17|issue=24|page=9440|doi=10.3390/ijerph17249440|pmid=33339284|pmc=7766425|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Scientists have debated how cheese might affect sleep. An antithetical folk belief that cheese eaten close to bedtime can cause nightmares may have arisen from the Charles Dickens novella ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'', in which Ebenezer Scrooge attributes his visions of Jacob Marley to the cheese he ate.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Extance|first=Andy|date= December 16–19, 2015 |title=Brie encounter |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287507730|journal=New Scientist|volume=228|issue=3052–3053|pages=69–70|doi=10.1016/S0262-4079(15)31866-2|bibcode=2015NewSc.228...69E}}</ref> This belief can also be found in folklore that predates this story.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Oates|first=Caroline|date=2003|title=Cheese gives you nightmares: Old hags and heartburn.|journal=Folklore (London).|volume=114|issue=2|pages=205–225|doi=10.1080/0015587032000104220|s2cid=161962480}}</ref> The theory has been disproven multiple times, although night cheese may cause vivid dreams or otherwise disrupt sleep due to its high saturated fat content, according to studies by the British Cheese Board. Other studies indicate it may actually make people dream less.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mosley|first=Dr. Michael|title=Fast Asleep: Improve Brain Function, Lose Weight, Boost Your Mood, Reduce Stress, and Become a Better Sleeper|publisher=Atria Books|year=2020|isbn=978-1982106928}}</ref>

=== Figurative expressions ===
In the 19th century, "cheese" was used as a figurative way of saying "the proper thing"; this usage comes from Urdu cheez "a thing", from Persian cheez, from Old Persian...ciš-ciy [which means] "something". The term "cheese" in this sense was "[p]icked up by [colonial] British in India by 1818 and [was also] used in the sense of "a big thing", for example in the expression "he's the real cheez".<ref name="online" /> The expression "big cheese" was attested in use in 1914 to mean an "important person"; this is likely "American English in origin". The expression "to cut a big cheese" was used to mean "to look important"; this figurative expression referred to the huge wheels of cheese displayed by cheese retailers as a publicity stunt.<ref name="online" /> The phrase "cut the cheese" also became an American slang term meaning to flatulate. The word "cheese" has also had the meaning of "an ignorant, stupid person".<ref name="online" />

Other figurative meanings involve the word "cheese" used as a verb. To "cheese" is recorded as meaning to "stop (what one is doing), run off", in 1812 (this was "thieves' slang").<ref name="online" /> To be "cheesed off" means to be annoyed.<ref name="online" /> The expression "[[Say cheese|say 'cheese']]" in a photograph-taking context (when the photographer wants the people to smile for the photo), which means "smile", dates from 1930 (the word was probably chosen because the "ee" encourages people to make a smile).<ref name="online" /> The verb "cheese" was used as slang for "be quiet" in the early 19th century in Britain.<ref name="online" /> The fictional "...notion that the moon is made of green cheese as a type of a ridiculous assertion is from 1520s".<ref name="online" /> The figurative expression "to make cheeses" is an 1830s phrase referring to schoolgirls who amuse themselves by "...wheeling rapidly so one's petticoats blew out in a circle then dropping down so they came to rest inflated and resembling a wheel of cheese".<ref name="online" /> In [[Video game culture#Slang and terminology|video game slang]] "to cheese it" means to win a game by using a strategy that requires minimal skill and knowledge or that exploits a [[glitch]] or flaw in game design.<ref name=dictionary.com>{{cite web |url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/cheesed |title=Article to Cheesed |work=dictionary.com |author=dictionary.com |access-date=July 28, 2017 |archive-date=July 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708051729/http://www.dictionary.com/browse/cheesed |url-status=live }}</ref>

The adjective "cheesy" has two meanings. The first is literal, and means "cheese-like"; this definition is attested to from the late 14th century (e.g., "a cheesy substance oozed from the broken jar").<ref name="online" /> In the late 19th century, medical writers used the term "cheesy" in a more literal sense, "to describe morbid substances found in tumors, decaying flesh, etc."<ref name="online" /> The adjective also has a figurative sense, meaning "cheap, inferior"; this use "... is attested from 1896, perhaps originally U.S. student slang". In the late 19th century in British slang, "cheesy" meant "fine, showy"; this use is attested to in the 1850s. In writing [[lyrics]] for pop music, rock music or musical theatre, "cheesy" is a pejorative term which means "blatantly artificial" (''OED'').

==See also==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Cheese.ogg|date=August 5, 2006}}
{{Portal|Food}}
{{Cookbook}}
* [[Dutch cheese markets]]
* [[List of cheese dishes]]
* [[List of cheeses]]
* [[List of dairy products]]
* [[List of microorganisms used in food and beverage preparation]]
* [[Sheep milk cheese]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Ensrud|first=Barbara|title=The Pocket Guide to Cheese|year=1981|isbn=978-0-7018-1483-0|publisher=Lansdowne Press|location=Sydney}}
* {{cite book|last=Jenkins|first=Steven|title=Cheese Primer|publisher=Workman Publishing Company|year=1996|isbn=978-0-89480-762-6|url=https://archive.org/details/cheeseprimer00jenk}}
* {{cite web|first=James|last=Mellgren|year=2003|url=http://www.gourmetretailer.com/gourmetretailer/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1911696|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030624161720/http://gourmetretailer.com/gourmetretailer/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1911696|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 24, 2003|title=2003 Specialty Cheese Manual, Part II: Knowing the Family of Cheese|access-date=October 12, 2005}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
* Layton, T.A. (1967) ''The ... Guide to Cheese and Cheese Cookery''. London: Wine and Food Society (reissued by the Cookery Book Club, 1971)
* {{cite web|title=Is It Bad to Eat Cheese With Mold On It?|first=Cheyenne|last=Buckingham|date=May 1, 2019|language=en|website=Eat This, Not That!|url=https://www.eatthis.com/moldy-cheese-safe/}}

== External links ==
* {{gutenberg|no=14293|name=The Complete Book of Cheese}}
* [http://www.cheese.com/ Cheese.com] – includes an extensive database of different types of cheese.
* [http://www.dairyscience.info/cheese-manufacture/114-classification-of-cheese-type.html Classification of cheese] – why is one cheese type different from another?
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[[Category:Condiments]]
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