With hundreds of types and a wide variety of flavors, textures and styles, cheese is loved around the world. The different varieties of cheese depend on the origin of the milk and the animal's diet. Mainly produced with cow's milk, the cheese is also made with sheep, goat, buffalo and other mammalian milk. From the famous Cheddar to the very rare Crottin de Chavignol, cheese is rich in nutrients such as fat, protein, calcium and phosphorus. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The cheese making process is nothing but magic. Its history dates back 4,000 years, when sheep were first domesticated. There is no evidence that this is Europe, Central Asia or the Middle East. The cheese was most likely produced accidentally as a way to preserve milk by curdling and salting it. But no matter what type of cheese and where it is made, the basic process involves separating the milk into whey and curds. There can be numerous variables in the cheese making stages which are the reason for the huge quantity of cheeses around the world. These are the basic stages of cheese production: Milk souring In the case of unpasteurized milk, bacteria naturally present in milk convert lactose or milk sugar into lactic acid. For pasteurized milk it is necessary to add acidifying bacteria. The most commonly added bacteria belong to the Lactococcus, Streptococcus or Lactobacillus families. For the famous Swiss cheese, the bacterium used is Propionibacter shermani which gives the cheese its holes. For some cheeses such as Paneer, Queso, Fresco, the milk is directly acidified by adding a small amount of vinegar. Curdling means clumping milk proteins together and forming a network to trap fat and water molecules. Curdling can be done with either acid or rennet. Rennet is a composition of enzymes found in the stomachs of ruminants such as cows. Traditionally, milk was stored in the calf's stomach where rennet caused it to curdle. Now, rennet is genetically modified. For this process, acids, vinegar, lemon juice or lactic acid are used. Sour cheeses are soft, should be eaten fresh, given their short shelf life and have little flavour. Ricotta is a classic example. Most cheeses are curdled with rennet. They have complex flavors and mature over time. The cheese at this point is essentially just a wet gel. For some cheeses it is sufficient to salt them, drain them to separate the whey and they are ready for consumption. For the remaining majority the curd is cut into small pieces. The whey is then drained naturally or by heating in the case of hard cheeses. Salting the curd is done to dehydrate it, give it a compact consistency and also to prevent it from spoiling. Mushroom molds are also added for the production of blue cheeses such as Roquefort. There are some specific techniques at this stage to produce different cheeses. For example, stretching and kneading in warm water to make Mozzarella and Provolone, or in the case of Cheddar the curd is mixed and mounded repeatedly. The curd is now poured into the molds and pressure is applied to obtain the final shape of the cheese. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Ripening Now it's time for the cheese to ripen. The cheese is left to decompose in a loosely controlled environment. When does the.