Cheese History
In reality, it isn't known when cheesemaking was first discovered, but it is an ancient art. The first cheeses were not cheeses as they are now known, but curds and whey. Curds and whey result when milk is coagulated. The curd is solid and the whey is liquid. Curds and whey remained a common food (this is what the nursery rhymes Little Miss Muffet ate) until the mid 1900's although it is still eaten in some areas today.
Egyptian hieroglyphics depict workmen making cheese. In ancient times, the whey was consumed immediately and the curd was salted and/or dried to preserve it. The Roman Legion was instrumental in spreading the art of cheesemaking throughout Europe.
During the Middle Ages, the art of cheesemaking was improved greatly in the monasteries and feudal estates of Europe. The monks became great innovators of cheese and it is to them we owe many of the classic varieties of cheese made today.
During the Renaissance period cheese suffered a drop in popularity in Europe, being considered unhealthy.
Cheese regained favor in Europe by the nineteenth century coincident with the move from farm to factory production of cheese.
