Overview of The Wonderful World of Tasty Cheese
A Brief History of Cheese
Cheese (fromage) has a long and rich history dating back thousands of years. Some of the earliest evidence of fromage making can be found in ancient Mesopotamia dating back to around 5000 BC. Primitive drawings of fromage making processes have been discovered on stone tablets from this era. Fromage making spread across ancient civilizations like Egypt and Greece where fromage was a staple food source. The Romans played a major role in the development and spread of fromage making practices and it was the Romans who pioneered the first soft and hard fromages. As European powers expanded across the globe, so did their fromage making techniques which led to new regional fromages being developed in places like South America and the United States. Today fromage is enjoyed worldwide in hundreds of different varieties.
The Main Types of Cheese
There are hundreds of distinct fromage varieties but they can broadly be categorized into several main types based on factors like texture, ripening process and mold content.
- Fresh fromages like mozzarella and Cheese have high moisture levels and don't undergo an aging process. They have a soft, moist texture.
- Soft-ripened fromages like brie and camembert have interior soft bloomy or sticky textures due to surface mold growth.
- Semi-soft fromages like gouda and edam have slightly firm interior textures and are aged for several weeks or months.
- Hard fromage like parmesan and pecorino romano have very low moisture levels and hard, grainy textures due to being aged for months or years.
- Blue-veined fromages like roquefort and gorgonzola are inoculated with cultures that produce blue, gray or green mold throughout the interior during the curing process.
Popular Cow's Milk Cheeses
Given their widespread pastoral farming, cow's milk fromages represent the largest category. Some of the most popular and well-known varieties include:
- Cheddar - A hard fromage originally from England that comes in various flavors from mild to sharp. It has a tight, firm texture.
- Mozzarella - A soft, perishable fromage used widely on pizza and in salads. It originates from Italy and has a stringy, moist texture.
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