No one really knows when cheese making was discovered. The earliest record of cheese making dates back to 5,500 BCE in what is now Poland.They say that a thousand years ago, milk was transported using a sheep stomach. Left to sit for days the protein would separate into curds and whey and thus the first cheese was created. 

From then on preserving the solids with salt seemed a logical next step. Salt was a valuable seasoning, and curing agent in the ancient world. 

Today there are over 1,400 varieties of cheese, from all regions of the world enjoyed in different ways.

Basic Cheese Making

The basic principles behind making cheese is quite simple. 

• Let the milk sour 
• Separate the curds (solids) from the whey (liquid). 
• The curds are then salted and left to age.

You can also add bacteria, fungi, enzymes at various stages of the aging process to tweak the cheese. The type of cheese you produce comes from what kind of milk, the quality, the aging process and additional flavoring you may add to it. 

To celebrate this years National Cheese Lovers Day head over to Old Swiss Inn and indulge in their fondue selections and raclette.

Single Serve Raclette
For those cheese newbies, try the single serve Raclette. This comes with melted Raclette cheese on top of baby potatoes, gherkins and pearl onions.

Scamorza Fondue

This fondue uses apple-smoked Scamorza from Pinkie’s farm. This Italian semi-soft cheese is similar to Raclette cheese but smoking it adds a new depth of flavor. This comes with a serving of home made rye bread.

Waatlander Fondue

This classic Swiss fondue uses melted Gruyere and Emmenthal cheese and is laced with kirsch for an extra kick.

Walliser Fondue

Another variation of fondue is the Walliser fondue that is made by combining Swiss wine, Gruyere, Emmenthal and Raclette cheese. This comes with baby potatoes and assorted vegetables. 

Celebrate National Cheese Lovers Day at the Old Swiss Inn!