What was the first cheese

Human consumption of milk dates back to the first farms, from 11,000 to 6,000BC, depending on the region of the world. Goats were the first animals to be domesticated, and cattle farming did not come until 3000 years later. Thanks to farming, Neolithic hunters could organise food management and no longer needed to hunt for food.

Curd, a natural result of milk that has coagulated, was soon used after this. In fact, cheese production can be traced back to 2500BC, with the first curd moulds discovered in Mesopotania as well as on Sumerian bas-reliefs. The history of cheese continues with the Pharaohs and their cheese urns, which were buried with them for the afterlife, and Homer, who, in the Odyssey, tells of how Polyphemus, the Cyclops, places curd in finely woven baskets in order to strain it. The first to write about the different stages required in the cheesemaking process was the Roman agronomist Columella in 60AD.

After the fall of the Roman empire, several cheese recipes had already disappeared. But some production secrets remained hidden in monasteries which continued to make cheese. Many of their recipes, such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque, still exist today.

From the 13th century, production began to grow on French farms. Peasants invented regional cheeses. The first cheese cooperative was founded at this time by women in search of a source of income and who wanted to take advantage of dairy production. This was the start of a French tradition based on the idea that cheesemaking was something almost exclusively done by women, with recipes and know-how passed down from mothers to daughters and improved upon little by little. At this time, in order to keep the cheese fresh and transport a fragile material, the sale and consumption was limited to local markets.

With the restoration of peace, trade began again. With pilgrimages and the growth of thermal cures in France (after 1850) and the establishment of paid holidays (from 1936), cheese was no longer confined to its regions and began to be transported across borders.

“Delicate, living material in which nestles identity and traditions, cheese exudes the soul of the earth and its inhabitants.” Pierre Androuët, master cheesemaker and food critic; member of the French Institute of Taste.

Since Columella’s description in 60AD, the basic principles of cheesemaking have essentially remained the same: milk clotting, salting and drying. Textures, tastes and flavours having only developed through the creativity and know-how of different people.

Variations in terms of temperature and heating of the milk, choice of ferment, cutting of the curd, size of the grains, mixing, heating, pressing time and intensity, placing in brine, washing or brushing of the rind, degree of humidity and temperature of the cheese maturation caves. It is the combination of these different elements that results in the extraordinary diversity of cheeses made in France.

And France has a lot more cheeses than regions! Each of them has a distinctive taste, shape and texture. Symbolic, authentic and nourishing, cheese has remained a subject of national pride in France, the world’s leading consumer of cheese.

Cheese is as old as modern mankind, with clues about its existence reaching all the way back to 8,000 BC when first sheep and goats were domesticated by our ancestors. Surviving records about their way of life showed us that they used animal skins and inflated internal organs as storage mediums, leading to conclusion that the first discovery of making cheese was probably accidental. Storing milk in such internal organ storage would bring milk in contact with rennet, which would quickly transform milk into curds and whey. The oldest archeological proofs of cheese existence date back to 5,500 BC, with first visual clue being recorded on the Egyptian tomb walls some 4 thousand years ago. Examples of cheese made in such time in Egypt and Middle East was most likely very salty and strong tasting and crumbly, similar to the modern Feta and cottage cheese. This was done because the average temperature in those regions was pretty high, which forced cheese to have much more natural preservatives in its structure (salt).

As art of making cheese spread from Egypt toward north, Greece and Rome became birthplaces of many more types of cheese, where lower temperature enabled cheese makers to experiment not only with rennet and other acidic agents that can transform milk into cheese, but also many other types of bacteria that can be used for creation of medium and hard cheeses. With less salt and preservatives, European cheeses were much more pleasant tasting and quickly many distinct aromas were made popular.

During the reign of Rome, cheese was used as everyday food by both rich and poor, with cheese making becoming a certified art that was praised by food lovers. Historian records from that time remain today, describing ancient ways of making many types of cheese that were made all over the Roman Empire. Sadly after the fall of Roman Empire, trade routes all around the Europe collapsed, preventing easy sharing of information and goods, bringing back cheese making into a highly competitive local production. This made cheeses from individual countries many more diverse, with France, Italy and England leading the way with between 400 and 700 cheese types each. Many of today’s popular cheeses were made before the arrival of Renaissance and establishment of new trading routes – Cheddar around 1200 and Parmesan in late 1590s. Many other came in 17th and 18th century.

With the arrival of Renaissance and advanced in naval travel, cheese exited the shores of Europe and spread all around the world. Many Asian cultures never heard of Cheese before (not counting India, which had long history with cheese), and same was the case with Americas. Organized production of cheese arrived in Europe in 1815 with the establishment of first cheese factory in Switzerland, but mass success was found only after dairy farmer Jesse Williams formed assembly line cheese factory in USA in 1851. Just decades later, cheese production exploded in North America, with factories surpassing home production by the time of WW2.

In modern times, factory production of cheese vastly surpasses home production, although many most respected cheeses are made using centuries old recipes that require careful manual handling of all cheese making processes.

The production of cheese predates recorded history and was most likely discovered by accident during the transport of fresh milk in the organs of ruminants such as sheep, goats, cows, and buffalo. In the millennia before refrigeration, cheese became a way to preserve milk. Although it is unknown where cheese production was first discovered, evidence of early cheesemaking is prevalent in the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia.

It is thought that cheese was first discovered around 8000 BC around the time when sheep were first domesticated. Rennet, the enzyme used to make cheese, is naturally present in the stomachs of ruminants. The leak-proof stomachs and other bladder-like organs of animals were often put to use to store and transport milk and other liquids. Without refrigeration, warm summer heat in combination with residual rennet in the stomach lining would have naturally curdled the milk to produce the earliest forms of cheese.

These milk curds were strained, and salt was added for extra preservation, giving birth to what we now know as "cheese." Even with the addition of salt, warm climates meant that most cheeses were eaten fresh and made daily. Early Roman texts describe how ancient Romans enjoyed cheese often. They enjoyed a wide variety of cheeses, and cheese making was already considered an art form. They provided hard cheese for the Roman legions.

The word cheese comes from the Latin word caseus, the root of which is traced back to the proto-Indo-European root kwat, meaning to ferment or become sour.

As cheesemaking spread to the cooler climates of Northern Europe, less salt was needed for preservation, which led to creamier, milder varieties of cheese. These cooler climates also saw the invention of aged, ripened, and blue cheeses. Many of the cheeses that we are familiar with today (cheddar, gouda, parmesan, camembert) were first produced in Europe during the Middle-Ages.

Mass production of cheese didn't occur until 1815 in Switzerland when the first cheese factory was built. Soon after, scientists discovered how to mass-produce rennet and industrial cheese production spread like wildfire.

Pasteurization made soft cheeses safer, reducing the risk of spreading tuberculosis, salmonellosis, listeriosis, and brucellosis. Outbreaks still occur from raw milk cheeses, and pregnant women are warned not to eat soft-ripened cheeses and blue-veined cheeses.

With the American industrial food, a revolution came in the invention of processed cheese. Processed cheese combines natural cheese with milk, emulsifiers, stabilizers, flavoring, and coloring. This inexpensive cheese product melts easily and consistently and has become an American favorite. Production of processed cheese products skyrocketed during the World War II era. Since this time, Americans have consistently consumed more processed cheese than natural cheeses.

Handmade artisan cheese is making a comeback in a major way. Classic cheesemaking methods are being adopted by small farmers and creameries across the United States. Specialty cheese shops, which were once dominated by imported ​artisan cheese, are now filling up with locally made and handcrafted cheeses.