The Science Behind Why Cheese Is Created In A Wheel Form
Archaeological evidence suggests that cheese has come in a round shape since the very beginning. According to Culture, cheese was likely invented by accident in southwest Asia, where the warm climate would have naturally caused milk to coagulate into curds and whey. Analysis of pottery dating back to 7,000 B.C. shows that early cheeses were made from milk stored in round ceramic vessels, making them naturally circular. As crazy as it might sound, these roughly wheel-shaped cheeses may have predated the wheel itself, which according to Smithsonian Magazine was not invented until around 3,500 B.C. (originally for use in pottery, by the way, not transportation). Of course, this was a result of incidental circumstances rather than intentional action on the part of cheesemakers.
As the history of cheesemaking progressed, people continued using the wheel shape, but for practical reasons. Mental Floss notes that wheel-shaped molds are sturdier than rectangular molds, which have seams that can easily split apart. This is an important point because the traditional process of making rind-covered cheese requires dry-salting over a long period before the curd sticks together. During this time, a strong mold is required to hold the cheese curds together under pressure. Furthermore, the wheel shape was practical for cheesemongers because it made it easy to transport their products. Rather than carrying a heavy block of cheese to the marketplace, they could simply roll it along.
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