There’s a first time for everything, but no one really know how our beloved cheese was invented. It’s certainly a very old product (humans have been loving cheese for at least 4,000 years), and it probably spread from Asia to Europe before becoming the huge industry it is today, but only stories exist surrounding the first curds.

No one really knows who made the first cheese. According to an ancient legend, it was made accidentally by an Arabian merchant who put his supply of milk into a pouch made from a sheep’s stomach, as he set out on a day’s journey across the desert. The rennet in the lining of the pouch, combined with the heat of the sun, caused the milk to separate into curd and whey. That night he found that the whey satisfied his thirst, and the cheese (curd) had a delightful flavor which satisfied his hunger.

Read more at the International Dairy Foods Association

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Julia Domenicucci

Julia Domenicucci is an online editorial intern for culture who loves to try new foods almost as much as she loves trying new books. Born just outside of Boston and now attending school in the heart of it, Julia has come to really love the city, its art museums, and all the restaurants in the North End.