BBC Science Focus Magazine

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF CHEESE

Who would have thought that a congealed lump of curdled milk could be so delicious? For 7,000 years, cheese has titillated the taste buds of humanity. In almost every corner of the world, animal milk has been used to create the stuff, culminating in over 1,700 distinct varieties today: creamy Brie; buttery Gouda; crumbly Parmesan; stringy mozzarella; sharp Cheddar; holey Swiss; mild paneer; smoky Bavarian Emmentaler… the list goes on and on. The staggering variety of cheeses is testimony to the creativity of cheesemakers throughout the ages, but their ingenuity plays second fiddle to the real stars of the show: the microbes. The several-hundred-strong ensemble cast of bacteria, fungi and yeasts bring life to a bland, salty lump of off-white curd. By digesting, or

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from BBC Science Focus Magazine

BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
A Sprawling Population NGC 4254
In the two years since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched into space, it has dazzled us with high-quality images of exploding stars, distant planets, massive nebulae and more. In one of its more recent collections, the JWST has captur
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
BBC Science Focus Magazine
EDITORIAL Editor & brand lead Daniel Bennett Managing editor Robert Banino Commissioning editor Jason Goodyer Digital editor Thomas Ling News editor Noa Leach Trends editor Tom Howarth Staff writers Alex Hughes, Holly Spanner ART Art editor Joe Eden
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Contributors
Digitisation is meant to make it easier to access healthcare. So why, asks Trish, are the elderly, disabled and other minorities being left behind? p34 More screening for prostate cancer should help more men. With benign tumours, Margaret explains wh

Related Books & Audiobooks