Cheese Facts
Cheese Facts

25 Fabulous Cheese Facts

Karin Lehnardt
By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer
Published February 23, 2024Updated July 31, 2024
  • Cheese is an ancient food. It was made as far back as 8000 BC, about the same time sheep were first domesticated.[12]
  • The country with the highest cheese consumption is FranceGermany, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Greece round out the top 5.[16]
  • Globally, the French rank #1 in cheese consumption, at about 54 pounds per person annually. By comparison, Americans eat about 42 pounds of cheese per person annually.[16]
  • The word "cheese" is from the Proto-European root *kwat-, which means to "ferment, become sour."[2]
  • The earliest types of cheeses were probably sour and salty, similar to feta or cottage cheese.[11]
  • The last week of June is National Cheese Week.[11]
  • Casu Martzu Fact
    Some say that Casu Martzu is an aphrodisiac
  • Dubbed "the most dangerous cheese in the world," Casu Marzu is made with live maggots. It has an aftertaste that lasts for hours.[13]
  • Cottage cheese is considered fresh cheese, which means it's not aged or ripened like hard cheeses, such as cheddar or parmesan.[14]
  • Ancient cheese was found in an Egyptian tomb. It was probably placed there as a snack for the afterlife.[11]
  • The world's smelliest cheese is Vieux-Boulogne. In France, it is banned from public transportation.[6]
  • In 1840, Queen Victoria was given a 1,000-pound (500 kg) cheese wheel, made from the milk of 750 cows.
    [5]
  • A turophile is someone who loves cheese.[11]
  • Life is great. Cheese makes it better.

    - Avery Aames

  • Scientists originally believed that the holes or "eyes" of Swiss cheese were caused by carbon dioxide bubbles; however, now they know the holes are caused by little pieces of hay present in the milk.[15]
  • Pule is the world's most expensive cheese. It's made with donkey milk and is valued at $600 pound.[3]
  • Cheese can be made from a variety of animals' milk, such as reindeer, moose, donkey, horse, alpaca, camel, and human.[13]
  • A town in southeastern France uses cheese to produce electricity. Located in Albertville, the power plant uses a byproduct of the Beaufort cheese factories to power its system.[9]
  • There are over 2,000 different types of cheese globally. Out of all of them, mozzarella is the favorite.[11]
  • Cheese Facts and History
    The word "mozzarella" is from the Vulgar Latin *mutius, meaning "cut off, blunted" and is related to the word "mutilated"

  • New York chef Daniel Angerer made cheese from his wife's breast milk. The cheese had a hard, crumbly, cheddar-like texture. It reportedly tasted delicious.[13]
  • The bacterium that causes smelly feet is also responsible for smelly cheese.[11]
  • It's a myth that mice love cheese. While they will eat it if they need to, they prefer other foods, such as cookies, grain, candy, and peanut butter.[7]
  • Someone who sells cheese is called a "cheese monger."[11]
  • Romans loved cheese, and wealthy Romans had an extra kitchen called a careale in their house, specifically for cheese making.[1]
  • Cheese Facts and Trivia
    When cheese is digested, it breaks down into opioids

  • "Tyrosemiophilia" is the hobby of collecting cheese labels.[10]
  • The British clay animation TV show called "Wallace and Gromit" re-popularized an old English cheese named Wensleydale.[8]
  • Because cheese is the most frequently stolen food in the world, retailers have dubbed it as a high-risk food. It is stolen more frequently than alcohol or junk food.[4]
  • Charming Cheese Facts INFOGRAPHIC
References

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