Cheese is eaten on almost everything including popcorn and vegetables. Almost everyone eats cheese unless there is an allergy to it or dairy. There are over 670 different kinds of cheese. And the U.S. is the world’s largest producer of cheese. To learn more about this versatile food just read on.
Interesting Facts
Making Cheese
To make a pound of cheese, you will need over 10 pounds of milk. The milk is heated to take the moisture out of the milk, and then a bacterium is added to help age the cheese. Then, after the addition of the bacteria and some time has passed, the flavoring process begins. Did you know that marigold petals were used to color cheese yellow?
Cheese Production
There are three major areas in the world that produces cheese, France, Germany, and the United States. Within the United States, there are three primary areas that produce the majority of the cheeses. The New England region, Wisconsin and California are the top producers of cheese. Wisconsin is actually the only place in the United States that makes Limburger cheese.
Cheesy History
It has been documented that in the pyramids, there are images depicting the process of making cheese in 2000 BC. However, it is seen that cheese has been a part of earlier civilizations dating back to 3000 BC. It is thought that cheese was made by accident. People that traveled would carry their milk in pouches, typically animal stomachs, and from the constant movements and naturally occurring acids from the stomach, milk would separate into curds and whey.
More Interesting Facts
Did you know that cheese tops the list for production, it outranks tea leaves, tobacco, cocoa and coffee beans combined? The U.S. is the fifteenth largest consumer of cheese. It is averaged to about 15 pounds consumed per person in a year. The first two that beat the U.S. in this area is Greece and France. Did you know that bacteria that gives Limburger cheese its horrid smell is also found on the human body and is what gives the foul odor to body odor?
Fun Facts
- In the United States the month of June is National Dairy Month and the last week of June is National Cheese Week.
- Pizza Hut is the largest cheese-using fast food giant, it uses approximately 300 million pounds of cheese annually, mostly on pizza.
- Cheese production around the globe is more than the combined worldwide production of coffee, tobacco, tea, and cocoa beans.
- A seller of cheese is known as a ‘cheesemonger’.
- Collecting cheese labels is known as ‘tyrosemiophilia’.
- Cheddar Cheese is never naturally orange.
- The most stolen food item in the world is cheese, with 4% of all cheese being sold end up stolen.
