Know your Cheese!

It was perhaps in the pastoral phase in the evolution of human civilization that people started making cheese.

As early as 9000 B.C., people in the regions like Turkey, Iran and Iraq consumed milk from sheep, goat or camel. The fresh milk would spoil quickly after collecting, so it was either consumed fresh or allowed to sour naturally for longer storage periods. Apparently, a taste preference for fermented foods over warm milk developed, and these milks were produced and consumed as yogurt, fresh and ripened cheeses. In fact, some basic principles of cheesemaking can be found in a book by Columnella, a Roman, in 100 B.C. However, cheese has undertaken a long culinary journey ever since.

Cheese’s popularity is attributed to its great taste, the availability of new and different varieties, its convenience and versatility of use, and nutritional value. Taste is a primary factor contributing to consumers’ demand for cheese. More than 300 varieties (e.g., American, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Colby) of cheese are available in various flavours, forms (e.g., chunks, slices, cubes, shredded, grated/crumbled, string/ stick, spreads), and packaging to meet consumers’ needs. Cheese’s nutritional value, especially its calcium and protein content, is identified as an important factor driving consumers’ desire to consume cheese.

Cheese is primarily used for its organoleptic contributions to a food, but it also provides functionality and nutrition to the finished food. Because cheese is an integral part of food products, it is becoming increasingly important for cheese manufacturers to produce their cheese according to the functionalities required for the end use.