Cheese

Cheese is a tasty food made from milk. People have been eating cheese for thousands of years. It can be soft or hard. It can be white, yellow, or even blue! Cheese is made all over the world. There are more than 1,800 kinds of cheese. You can eat it on pizza, in sandwiches, or all by itself.

How Cheese Is Made

Cheese starts with milk. The milk comes from cows, goats, or sheep. A special ingredient is added to the milk. This makes the milk turn thick and lumpy. The lumpy parts are called curds. The watery parts are called whey. The curds are pressed together to make cheese. Some cheese is eaten right away. Other cheese is stored for months or even years to get more flavor.

An old painting showing cheese, almonds, and pretzels on a table.
An old painting showing cheese, almonds, and pretzels on a table. (Clara Peeters / Wikimedia Commons)

Kinds of Cheese

There are many kinds of cheese. Cheddar is orange and tastes sharp. Mozzarella is soft and stretchy, and it is used on pizza. Swiss cheese has big holes in it. Parmesan is hard and gets grated on pasta. Some cheeses smell strong. Others taste mild and sweet. Each country has its own special cheese.

Fun Facts

  • There are more than 1,800 kinds of cheese in the world.
  • It takes about 10 pounds of milk to make just 1 pound of cheese.
  • The holes in Swiss cheese are made by tiny bubbles of gas.

Did You Know?

The oldest cheese ever found is more than 3,200 years old! It was found in an ancient tomb in Egypt.