Cheese: Difference between revisions

{{Other uses}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}

[[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.

[[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").

{{Main|History of cheese}}

[[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).

[[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.

[[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.

[[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.

{{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 [[Wikipedia:tonne|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).

Other 2014 world totals for processed cheese include:

* from skimmed cow milk, 2.4 million tonnes (leading country, Germany, 845,500 tonnes)

* from [[:en:water buffalo|buffalo]] milk, 282,127 tonnes (leading country, [[Wikipedia:Egypt|Egypt]], 254,000 tonnes)

During 2015, Germany, France, Netherlands and Italy exported 10–14% of their produced cheese. The United States was a marginal exporter (5.3% of total cow milk production), as most of its output was for the domestic market.

The [[Wikipedia:carbon footprint|carbon footprint]] of a kilogram of cheese ranges from 6 to 12&nbsp;kg of [[:en:CO2eq|CO₂eq]], depending on the amount of milk used; thus it is generally lower than beef or lamb but higher than other foods.

France, Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Germany were the highest consumers of cheese in 2014, averaging {{convert|25|kg|abbr=on}} per person per annum.

{{Main|Cheesemaking}}

[[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]]").

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.

* 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.

{{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]].

{{Main|Types of cheese}}

There are many types of cheese, with around 500 different varieties recognized by the International Dairy Federation, more than 400 identified by Walter and Hargrove, more than 500 by Burkhalter, and more than 1,000 by Sandine and Elliker. 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, but with no single method being universally used. 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. 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.

<gallery mode="packed">

File:Wikicheese - Brie de Melun - 20150515 - 015.jpg|[[Brie]] cheese

File:Bleu de Gex.jpg|[[Bleu de Gex]]

</gallery>

{{See also|Cheese and crackers}}

[[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]]

{{Nutrient contents of common cheeses}}

[[File:Cormeilles Market 9 Artlibre jnl.jpg|thumb|A cheese merchant in a French market]]

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.

{{Spoken Wikipedia|Cheese.ogg|date=August 5, 2006}}

* [[Dutch cheese markets]]

* [[List of cheese dishes]]

* [[Sheep milk cheese]]

{{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}}

{{refend}}

* 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/}}

* [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?

{{Sister bar|auto=1|voy=Cheese|cookbook=Cheese}}

{{Cheese|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Cheese| ]]

[[Category:Ancient dishes]]