From milk to cheese

All cheeses start from animal milk, including cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, and even camel.

• The milk is first warmed to a temperature ideal for microbes to flourish.
• Next, acid or rennet is added, alongside some 'starter' bacteria that causes the milk proteins and fats to coagulate, curdling the milk.
• The curds can be drained and chopped into chunks and scooped into moulds.
• The initial 'starter' bacteria die off over several weeks and other microbes take over to enhance the flavour that creates the potent flavours and aromas.
• Salt is added to stop microbes responsible for spoiling the process.
• The 'ripening' microbes break the proteins in the cheese into amino acids, many of which have their own flavour.
• Particularly voracious bacteria and fungi will break down amino acids even further to produce the truly smelly by-products.