No one really can say definitively when the first cheese was made, or by whom. But we really like the story that is widely accepted, albeit legend. It goes like this: It seems that cheese came about quite by accident, which is likely, because many foods we eat were stumbled upon due to a mistake or odd circumstance. Thousands of years ago, milk was stored in bladders that were actually stomachs of animals. The enzyme, called rennet, which is used to make cheese, can be found in these bladders naturally. Legend has it that an Arabian fellow put his milk in such a bladder and made his way across the dessert. What with the heat, combined with the rennet, the milk did what milk does, namely separate into curds and whey. Remember Miss Muffet who sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey?Likely Miss Muffet was eating something similar to cottage cheese. In the case of our intrepid Arabian traveler, what he found in place of his milk was curd which he eat, and whey which he drank. And so the story goes.
It is believed that travelers from Asia brought the art of cheese making to Europe. At the height of the Roman Empire, one could, no doubt, find cheese on the table. The Romans introduced cheese to England. During the middle ages, cheese was made, and made better, by monks in Europe. Italy became the cheese making center of Europe during the 10th century. Cheeses like Gorgonzola and Roquefort found their beginnings there.
Interestingly enough, while cheese was popular all over Europe and the Middle East, the Americas didn't get wind of it until European immigrants brought it with them. Prior to any large scale production of cheese, it was mostly a cottage industry, in homes and on farms. When the Puritans came over in the 17th century, they were made up of dairy farmers. Their knowledge of cheese making became part of the fabric of the new colonies. The making of cheese was no small task and it was largely managed by the women. Puritan women were the artisans and until the 19th century cheese making was entirely done on farms in New England and along the east coast.
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| Pioneering Women of Maine |
We want to salute the women on the dairy farms. From milking the cows, hauling the milk, churning the butter and processing the cheese, pioneering women were the corner stone to what we consider the cheese industry. This work was vital because in the early years of the colonies, milk had to be consumed fairly quickly. The cream was skimmed off and made into butter. (By the way, skimming the cream is where "skim milk" comes from.) The rest of the milk was used for drinking and cheese making. We are grateful for the hard work this must have been for these women and their valuable contribution.
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| Wisconsin Woman and her cows |
No doubt, you have heard the expression "cheese head," and how it relates to Green Bay Packer fans. If you haven't, we're not sure where you've been. (For your information, both Prickly Pears are born and raised cheese heads.) So what does that have to do with today's subject? Well, it turns out that before Wisconsin was known as the dairy state, new farmers to the land tried a number of different crops, including wheat. In short order, it became clear that the crops didn't work, and, in fact, caused long-lasting erosion of the soil. With that, grazing animals became part of the Wisconsin landscape. The land was used as pastures to raise cows. Just as an aside, even today in some parts of Wisconsin, there are more dairy cows than there are people.
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| Wisconsin Cheese Heads |
Remember we mentioned rennet earlier? It is the culture needed to change milk into cheese. In the 1860's, due to the high demand for cheese, rennet became mass-produced. This ensured standardization of cheese and also made it available to poorer classes to enjoy. Factory made cheese took over the traditional cheese making during World War II and, consequently, factories soon became the source of cheese for the consumer. With such automation it became more and more possible to provide a growing country with the cheese it demanded.
By 1880 there were 3,923 dairy factories nationwide, producing 316 million pounds of cheese. And by the end of the century, farm production of cheese became insignificant in comparison.
Today, more than one-third of all milk produced in the US is used to manufacture cheese. And that's just in the US! Around the world cheese making and cheese eating is a way of life. The amounts and types of cheeses available are staggering.
Just in case you think you can name all the varieties of cheese there are, we put you to the test. Here's a link of the some of the more than 900 types of cheese from around the world. Have fun! Now, here's some statistics about cheese production around the world: (FYI, a metric ton is 2204.62 lbs.)
| Top 10 cheese producers in 2011 (metric tonnes)[43] | |
|---|---|
| World | |
 European Union | 8,858,482 |
 United States | 5,162,730 |
 Germany | 2,046,250 |
 France | 1,941,750 |
 Italy | 1,132,010 |
 Netherlands | 745,984 |
 Poland | 650,055 |
 Egypt | 644,500 |
 Russia | 604,000 |
 Argentina | 580,300 |
 Canada | 408,520 |
BBQ Pulled Pork and Mac N Cheese Dish
Here's what you need
3 - 4 cups BBQ pulled pork
8 oz uncooked pasta
4 Tablespoons of butter
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Cup Whole Milk
Pinch of nutmeg
1 Cup White Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Gouda Cheese
1 Cup Havarti Cheese
1 Cup Fontina Cheese
Here's what you need to to:
- Cook pasta until al dente and drain. Do not rinse pasta.
- Grate all cheeses and mix together in a bowl. Reserve 1 cup of cheese.
- Melt butter in a sauce pan. Once melted whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in milk...constantly stirring and add nutmeg. Cook until thick over a low heat for about 8 minutes.
- Add 3 cups cheese to milk mixture until melted.
- Pour cheese mixture over cooked pasta and mix well. It may look like it is too much sauce but it isnt. You need it because the dish is baked.
- Place pulled pork on a 9x13 pan
- Pour mac n cheese over the pulled pork
- Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top of the mac n cheese.
- Bake at 425 degrees until bubbly and cheese has begun to brown.
* Dont over cook the pasta. Baking it will finish cooking it.
*Add as much pulled pork as you want if you feel you need more then 3-4 cups.
* Be creative with the types of cheese you use. I like rich stronger cheese so that is what I used. Asiago would be great in it.
We just briefly touch on the history of cheese today and it's place in our culinary lives. Next week we will take a look at how cheese in made around the world and describe some differences between them. Until then....
...go out and make something good.
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