Where Did Cheese Really Come From?

Let's talk Cheese History. Weird History is taking you on an epic food journey as we reveal the History of Cheese. We're going from the very beginning and seeing where cheese began and what it is today. We'll make stops through various points in history and see some of the surprising origins of your favorite cheeses.

Sit back and enjoy this cheesy history.

Written By: Rich Kuras (on IG @come_to_cheesus)
Cheese Styling: Kurt Gurdal (on IG @kurtandwhey)
Special Thanks: Josh Windsor (IG @theaffineur)
Editing: Kenny Chen

#Cheese #foodhistory #WeirdHistory

[darkjannn]

As a professional Dutch cheese salesman, I was impressed by how informative and thorough this video is. I might also be a tiny bit biased. To me, the best cheese in the world is a large model farmhouse Gouda, aged to the point where it has a great savory flavor that lingers. The cheese tingles your tongue, while still feeling smooth in the mouth. I'd invite you all to visit the Netherlands just to get a sample of this supreme type of Gouda. You can return home with as many kilos of it as your luggage limit allows, vacuum sealed in convenient pieces ;)

[maartjewaterman]

We were on a camping site in Italy when a German lady asked me from which Dutch town we were from. I answered Gouda which made her look puzzled and after about half a minute, she said: "You are living in a cheese?!!"

[dairyfarmer]

As a Vermont dairy farmer and professional cheesemaker, I really appreciated this video. I particularly enjoyed seeing the illustrations from the past, documenting our craft. It is really nice to see the resurgence of micro-dairies in our state that not only make traditional cheeses, but also those of their own creation. On our state licensed farm and creamery, we specialize in a variety of artisan goat cheeses ranging from creamy Chevre, to bloomy rind semi-soft varieties like Brie and Petit Bucheron (my own creation), as well as traditional Feta and Romano. My only pet peeve with some cheesemakers is their incorrect use of the term Farmstead Cheese. By law you can only label a cheese as "farmstead" if at least 50% of the milk comes from your own herd located on the same premises as the creamery. With our cheeses, 100% of the milk is from our goat herd.

As for my favorite cheeses: Our own Petit Bucheron, Gorgonzola Dolce and Bleu d'Auvergne, Tomme, and Raclette. Unfortunately, we cannot make any blue cheese varieties, as Pencillium Roqueforti is notorius for "infecting" an entire cheese cave and make-room.

[MrDJdo]

As a Belgian with French roots i remembered how we went to visit our grandmother in Normandy a few times a year for the holidays. She always prepared us a complete french dinner and after the main course and before the dessert there was always a cheese platter served on one of these round wooden boards with a cheese knife. She always took the time of explaining to us kids which were the 3-5 cheeses she served that day and also instruct us the proper way to cut cheese. Cause yeah for each form a cheese has there is a right and a wrong way to cut them and all hell broke loose if we happened to cut it the wrong way in her presence.

[heyheytaytay]

Cheese is why I could never ever be vegan.

[StavrosDS]

Interesting linguistic note here. The Latin name for Cheese is 'Caseus'. From this word, among others, the English 'Cheese', the Spanish 'Queso', the German Kase, and the Romanian 'Cascaval' names are derived.

While, as correctly mentioned in the video, techniques for making hard cheese existed at least since the time of ancient Greece, they were not perfected and widely used until the Roman times. Until then, most cheese types were made of curds, mostly preserved in salt or brine (similar to Feta).

During Roman times, hard cheese (in wheels or similar forms) became popular, and was called 'caseus formatus' i.e. 'formed cheese' (from the Greek morfi, meaning form / shape), and later 'formaticum'.

From this word the French Fromage and the Italian Formaggio derive.

[lizziebattory]

Thank you for a great video! Just one teensy weensy correction: rennet enzymes (chymosin and pepsin) do not convert lactose into lactic acid. That's done by the lactic acid bacteria in the starter culture (hence their name!). It's a bit confusing because milk coagulates in two ways: either from lactic acid, or from the rennet enzymes. But the curd obtained from lactic acid coagulation is very different from the curd obtained from enzymatic coagulation. The lactic acid curd is crumbly and soft, like yogurt (indeed, that's how yogurt is made). The rennet curd is smooth and shiny and springy, like jell-o. Acid-coagulated milk makes soft cheese, rennet-coagulated milk makes harder cheese. The reason we add a starter culture to milk when making cheese is that rennet enzymes work better in an acidic environment so they set milk faster and stronger in the presence of lactic acid. Another reason is taste, of course, since the lactic acid adds a tanginess that is very pleasant in cheese and they also produce complex aromas as cheese ages.

And with that I show myself out booed as a huge cheese nerd by the bored crowd :P

[dvdv]

As Eurythmices (🐁🐁) once sang:

"Sweet dreams are made of cheese,
Who am I to diss a brie?"

[giraffesinc.]

THAT was fascinating! I love the little models that were used to illustrate points as well, and (as usual) the irreverent delivery from your excellent narrator. Thanks, Weird History!

[krombopulousmichael]

Excellent content 👌 Would love to see the history of lobster and how it went from being a peasant food to paying market price. I do love the crustaceans but the history of how we began eating them is something I would love to see an episode of. That's just me though. Anyway, cheers mates 👍

[TheJH]

Fun fact: Gouda cheese was incredibly well-known because at the time (14th-18th centuries), it was one of the only cheeses around that wouldn't spoil for longer stretches of time (especially the longer matured Gouda cheeses), which made them perfect for long sea voyages.

[justinharvie]

Favorite cheese is probably Smoked Gouda. Although I do also love Muenster. Hard to choose.

[theprogressivevet]

Stick with me here. I was in the Army for 12 years and recently got out and got a job with a well known dairy co-op making cheese. Having also recently found this channel, I'm not sure if you're following me or this is just fate. Either way I'm here for it. LOVE what you do. Thank you for the great content!

[professorsprout]

Could you do a segment about mustard? People get as crazy over mustard as olive oil and cheese. I had a Sri Lankan curry with mustard that blew my mind. I love how Weird History includes culture, science and history! Thank you for being the opposite of Dumbing down! BTW the caveman with the cargo pants is hot. Saw him at the beach the other day.

[lottevanzelst]

The drawing you see at 0:21 is the cheese market at my home town Alkmaar In the Netherlands, So nice to see our beloved Waag and market included! And im very impressed that you pronounced Gouda right, Wel done!

[miltonbates]

Cheese is one of the greatest innovations in human history.

[curtiscronier]

Been having a rough few months, and when I say, inwatch every video you guys make within an hour I mean it. I really look forward to weird History! Thanks so much for the quality content, and for making me feel good about myself.

[gunnarbjursell]

❤ A very tasty and informative video I will share and guard, going back to look at from time to time! Having lived in France for eleven years (being a Swede married to a French woman), cheese is (almost) my religion! Already as a boy in Sweden, I loved cheese, beginning with Swedish cheeses, then cheeses from different countries, not least France. One of my cousins were married to a man who, with his father ran the first company importing French specialities to Sweden, among them, cheese. Almost every holiday he came visiting my mother and me, bringing a plate with French cheeses, with the map of France on it, showing where they were made! Vive le fromage!

[jasper]

As a Dutchman, I can say that your Dutch pronunciation of the word Gouda was quite impressive!

[PositivelyPlaying]

This new series is fantastic.Really liking the new editing style.