Cheese

Cheese is a dairy product made by coagulating milk into curds and pressing or aging them into blocks, wheels, or soft forms. Flavors range from mild and milky to sharp and nutty, with textures spanning spreadable to crumbly and hard. It melts, browns, and stretches depending on moisture and age, making it useful for grating over pasta, layering in sandwiches, finishing gratins, or forming sauces, with a buttery aroma when warmed. Many traditional styles are set with animal rennet, while others use microbial or plant coagulants.

Cheese making developed across pastoral cultures in the Middle East and Europe and spread worldwide, diversifying into hundreds of regional styles. Notable traditions include Italian pasta filata, French surface-ripened cheeses, British cheddars, and fresh Latin American varieties shaped by local milks and aging practices.