Thursday, August 6, 2015

Some Really Old Cheese...!

Now, I like cheese pretty much. I sure eat my share, believe me. Aged cheddar is one of my favorites.

That being said, I don't think I would want any of this cheese to spread on a cracker or put on a sandwich, ya know? Even I have some limits, believe it or not!

Cheese
3,800 Years Old



While the art of making cheese is certainly not new, finding old examples of cheese is rare. Mostly, we find fat residues suggesting that some artifacts once contained cheese. Time is not dairy’s friend, especially if we’re talking millennia. But excavations at China’s ancient Xiaohe Cemetery (aka “Ordek’s necropolis”) revealed pieces of 3,800-year-old cheese sitting on the chests and necks of several mummies.

Tests on the yellow substance showed that the cheese was nutritious, easy to produce, and similar to a present-day fermented dairy drink called “kefir.” Its low salt content hinted that it wasn’t meant to be kept for a long period of time but rather consumed after production. However, the remarkable preservation of the Ordek samples most likely occurred because two conditions were present at burial: The coffins were sealed with cowhide, which prevented air from entering, and the soil was salty.

As the cheese was also easy to digest, it helped researchers understand why the milking of animals became so widespread in the early Bronze Age despite lactose intolerance in people at that time.

Coffee on the patio this morning. I'll set out some crackers and cheese, but the cheese may be a tad newer in my case.

5 comments:

linda m said...

I also love cheese, especially aged cheddar. However, I do believe this cheese is a little "over" aged for me. Interesting find on the part of the archeologists and especially to find it so well preserved. I'll bring some "aged" Wisconsin cheddar to go along with your crackers and cheese.

JO said...

I also love cheese but I don't think that one would be on my menu. Linda how about some cheese curd? One of my friends introduced me to them when she came here for the winter. Love them, bet Mr. Hermit would too.

HermitJim said...

Hey Linda...
I ave to agree with you on that. Just a little too aged for my taste!
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Jo...
Guess we are all on the same train of thought about the older cheese. I don't remember ever having cheese curd before
Thanks for coming over today!

Dizzy-Dick said...

Call me picky if you want to but I don't eat cheese that you have to cut the mold off of it before eating. Some people do, and I will just let them have it. I like Swiss Cheese, I like cheddar, and right now I am eating my way through a box of Cheddar Valveeta. It is really good. I put it on a lot of things, melt it on stuff, or just eat it. Did I ever tell you that I love to eat?

HermitJim said...

Hey Dizzy...
My folks kept Velveeta around all te time. Mom still does, in fact. Good stuff!
Thanks for dropping by today!