Published By: Preeti Kaul

Cheesy Picks: The History and Trivia about Cheese

Get ready to drool over some amazing facts about one of the most loved food items in the world.

The mere mention of cheese could leave food lovers salivating. It is one of the most popular foods all around the world and is made from milk through various curdling techniques. It cannot be contested that cheese alone can fix a lot of meals. It can magically lift the mood and make you happy. Imagine yourself sitting in a cosy corner with a bowl of piping hot cheese fondue while it is snowing outside. If that doesn't qualify as heavenly then what else could be comforting.

Historically, cheese is considered to be older than the written language. However, the exact date of the origin of cheese has not been found. But it could be safely assumed that cheese was known to people as early as in 6000 BC. The earliest known technique for making cheese was by curdling milk and collecting the milk fat better known as cheese to the world. It is believed that the technique was perfected in Asia, and it reached around the world from there.

Let’s find out some interesting facts about cheese that will surely add on to your knowledge.

  1. There are more than 2000 different varieties of cheese in the world today. But the most popular of them is mozzarella, followed by Cheddar cheese.
  2. The costliest cheese in the world comes from a Swedish moose farm with a pound worth $391 or 28,828 INR.
  3. Pizza Hut uses the most amount of cheese in the world as a fast food chain. The annual consumption of cheese by the food giant is around 300 million pounds per annum.
  4. Even though Switzerland was the first nation to open a cheese factory in 1815, it was the US that started successful mass production of cheese in 1851.
  5. If taken in moderation, cheese is healthy for your body as it is rich in protein and calcium. Also, varieties like Mozarella, cheddar, American and Swiss cheese are known to prevent tooth decay.
  6. The production of cheese equals the combined production of tea, tobacco, coffee and cocoa in the world.
  7. There is a particular term for cheese lovers. They are known as turophiles.
  8. Queen Victoria reportedly received a unique gift on her wedding in 1840. It was a giant 1000 pound wheel made up of cheddar cheese.
  9. Cheese contains a particular amino acid named Tryptophan which is responsible for inducing sleep and lower stress levels in the body. The reason why we love having our cheese.
There is no better time than now to dig into your favourite Pizza, sandwich, pasta or fondue. Just remember to load it up with lots of cheese. And eat up!