25 Fabulous Cheese Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published February 23, 2024

Cheese is an ancient food. It was made as far back as 8000 BC, about the same time sheep were first domesticated._[13]
The country with the highest cheese consumption is France. Germany, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Greece round out the top 5._[16]
Globally, the French rank #1 in cheese consumption, at about 54 pounds per person annually. By comparison, Americans eat about 42 pounds of cheese per person annually._[16]
The word "cheese" is from the Proto-European root *kwat-, which means to "ferment, become sour."_[1]
The earliest types of cheeses were probably sour and salty, similar to feta or cottage cheese._[12]
The last week of June is National Cheese Week._[12]

Some say that Casu Martzu is an aphrodisiac

Dubbed "the most dangerous cheese in the world," Casu Marzu is made with live maggots. It has an aftertaste that lasts for hours._[9]
Cottage cheese is considered fresh cheese, which means it's not aged or ripened like hard cheeses, such as cheddar or parmesan._[14]
Ancient cheese was found in an Egyptian tomb. It was probably placed there as a snack for the afterlife._[12]
The world's smelliest cheese is Vieux-Boulogne. In France, it is banned from public transportation._[4]
In 1840, Queen Victoria was given a 1,000-pound (500 kg) cheese wheel, made from the milk of 750 cows.
_[3]
A turophile is someone who loves cheese._[12]

Life is great. Cheese makes it better.

- Avery Aames

Scientists originally believed that the holes or "eyes" of Swiss cheese were caused by carbon dioxide bubbles; however, now they know the holes are caused by little pieces of hay present in the milk._[15]
Pule is the world's most expensive cheese. It's made with donkey milk and is valued at $600 pound._[2]
Cheese can be made from a variety of animals' milk, such as reindeer, moose, donkey, horse, alpaca, camel, and human._[9]
A town in southeastern France uses cheese to produce electricity. Located in Albertville, the power plant uses a byproduct of the Beaufort cheese factories to power its system._[10]
There are over 2,000 different types of cheese globally. Out of all of them, mozzarella is the favorite._[12]

The word "mozzarella" is from the Vulgar Latin *mutius, meaning "cut off, blunted" and is related to the word "mutilated"

New York chef Daniel Angerer made cheese from his wife's breast milk. The cheese had a hard, crumbly, cheddar-like texture. It reportedly tasted delicious._[9]
The bacterium that causes smelly feet is also responsible for smelly cheese._[12]
It's a myth that mice love cheese. While they will eat it if they need to, they prefer other foods, such as cookies, grain, candy, and peanut butter._[5]
Someone who sells cheese is called a "cheese monger."_[12]
Romans loved cheese, and wealthy Romans had an extra kitchen called a careale in their house, specifically for cheese making._[8]

When cheese is digested, it breaks down into opioids

"Tyrosemiophilia" is the hobby of collecting cheese labels._[11]
The British clay animation TV show called "Wallace and Gromit" re-popularized an old English cheese named Wensleydale._[7]
Because cheese is the most frequently stolen food in the world, retailers have dubbed it as a high-risk food. It is stolen more frequently than alcohol or junk food._[6]