8 Facts about cheese

Almost everyone eats cheese on a regular basis, most of us every day. But what do we know about cheese? Here are five interesting facts about cheese that you might have not known before, including its production, its origin, and its current varieties.

#1 US produces most cheese

The top producer of cheese worldwide is the United States, and in the United States, the states of Wisconsin and California produce the highest amount of cheese.

#2 Greece consumes most cheese

The most cheese per capita is consumed in Greece. Greeks ate 60 pounds of cheese on average per person in 2004. The second highest consumption per capita of cheese is in France. The French ate 52 pounds of cheese on average per person in 2004. Americans, on the other hand, consumed much less cheese: in 2004, they ate around 30 pounds of cheese on average per person.

#3 Cows are not the only animals that produce milk

Most cheese is made from the milk of cows and less so from the milk of sheep and goats. But there are many more animals that produce milk for cheese. There is even a milk producer in Sweden that makes moose cheese. That moose cheese is so valuable that two pounds of this cheese costs $1000.

#4 Monks invented most of the kinds of cheese we eat today

It's true. Monks were the ones who really upped the production of cheese in the 6^th and 7^th centuries. Presumably due to their secluded way of living, they had the means and time to experiment with different production methods, and were successful in developing new kinds of cheese.

#5 There are thousands of different cheeses

It is estimated that Great Britain alone knows of 700 different (local) kinds of cheese. France and Italy are estimated to have about 400 different kinds each. The reasons for such a variety depend on differences in production: the kind of milk used for the cheese, how long it is stored for, which substances are added during production, and so on. Some kinds of cheese are cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, and some categories for cheese include light cheese or even string cheese. And obviously, the number of cheese recipes and cheese snacks is almost unlimited. One great recipe is cheese fondue, which is originally from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, but has spread all over the world.