Say Cheese! Top 11 Amazing and Fun Facts You Never Knew About the World of Cheese

1. Ancient Egyptian Mummy Cheese

Before ancient Egyptians feasted on mummy cheese that would make even today's blue cheese enthusiasts cringe: the world's oldest cheese, dating back to around 1200 BCE, was discovered in an Egyptian tomb, made from cow's milk, and is likely to have tasted drastically different due to the evolution of cheesemaking techniques over the millennia.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Picture-perfect Holes in Emmentaler

Say cheese, Propionibacter shermani! Those picture-perfect holes in your Emmentaler can be credited to a little bacteria who loves to strike a pose in your favorite cheese. Who could've guessed that these microscopic divas are responsible for making your cheese look so 'hole-y' chic: The fashionable holes in Emmentaler cheese are caused by Propionibacter shermani, which consumes lactic acid and releases carbon dioxide gas, forming the trapped bubbles that make up the characteristic eyes. Plus, the size and flavor of these gourmet peepholes can be controlled by manipulating factors like temperature, acidity, and aging time.
Source => culturecheesemag.com

Did you know there's a unique cheese aged with Barolo wine? Discover the grape-flavored masterpiece by an Italian artisan and his famous alpine meadow-grazed-cow butter! 🍇🧀🐄

=> Fun Facts about Dairy

3. VIP Roquefort Treatment

In an udderly exclusive and cave-aged twist on VIP treatment, this sheep's cheese demands strict geographical loyalty: Roquefort can only be called "Roquefort" if it's made in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France, with milk from Lacaune sheep raised in the area and aged in Mont Combalou caves that also contribute Penicillium roqueforti spores for added flavor.
Source => francetraveltips.com

4. 3,200-year-old Infectious Cheese

Beware ancient Egyptian mummies bearing cheese: scientists stumbled upon a 3,200-year-old tomb that contained not only the usual haunting hieroglyphs but also a sample of some really old cheese. Made primarily from sheep's and goat's milk, this antique dairy delight was highly acidic in taste and carried traces of a bacteria called brucella melitensis, which causes the infectious disease, brucellosis – talk about the world's earliest known food safety issue!
Source => bbc.com

5. Maggot-infested Casu Marzu

When one says "the early bird gets the worm," they might not expect a cheese to be swarming with creepy crawlies – literally: Casu marzu, a Sardinian delight, is made by introducing live insect larvae that break down the cheese's fats, with an important rule of consumption being that it's only safe to eat if the maggots are alive!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Cheese's 5,000-year-old Love Affair

In a world before books, where humans had more curdling experiences than binging on Netflix, cheese was born: Evidently discovered by accident over 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, cheese has miraculously wheeled its way through history as clay sieves from 7,000 years ago in Poland and Croatia testify to its global love affair.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. The US Government's Cheese Reserve

In an udderly unexpected move, the United States government decided to say "cheese!" and cellar-brate their love for dairy in a rather gouda fashion: By establishing a cheese reserve in the 1970s, the stockpile consists of various cheese varieties and is stored in a Missouri cave, now primarily owned by private companies, despite the decline in dairy consumption and rise of veganism.
Source => deseret.com

8. Debunking Cheese Nightmare Myths

Whoever said "sweet dreams are made of cheese" clearly didn't have nightmares in mind: A 2005 study conducted by the British Cheese Board found that participants who indulged in cheese before bedtime reported no nightmares, effectively dismantling that age-old myth!
Source => mentalfloss.com

9. World of 1,800 Cheese Varieties

Cheeses always seem to brie the life of the party, making everyone feel grate and ensuring things never go sour: The accidental creation of this delectable dairy delight has led to over 1,800 mouth-watering varieties, from gooey Brie to tangy Swiss, and even the bizarre, maggot-infested casu marzu, all while providing essential nutrients like calcium, protein, and Vitamin A throughout history.
Source => thedailymeal.com

10. Gym Sock-like Limburger Cheese

If you've ever had the urge to nibble on your gym socks, Limburger cheese might be just the treat for you: This stinky delight owes its odor to Brevibacterium linens, a bacteria found on human skin responsible for body and foot odor, and it becomes creamier and more pungent with age, making for centuries of Limburger sandwich enjoyment.
Source => world-cheese-map.com

11. Secret Lives of Pierced Cheeses

Much like a scandalous whodunit, cheeses too have their own little secrets hidden behind a facade of deliciousness: Swiss cheese isn't the only one with holey aspirations, as Gouda and Fontina join the pierced cheeses gang, with bacteria turning into gas-creating culprits during the cheese-making process.
Source => theconversation.com