What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word Cheese? Is it pizza? Or maybe even a sandwich with cheddar cheese! Well in this post, I will be talking about the 3 most popular types of cheese in the whole world.

Starting with cheddar. Before we begin, did you know that the cheese originates from a large village called Cheddar in Somerset, South West England! It is the most popular cheese in the United Kingdom and is second after mozzarella in the United States. Cheddar has been produced since at least the 12th century. The process of making it starts just like most cheeses. Milk is cultured. Once enough acid has developed from being cultured, rennet is added and it forms curds. After the curds are form, the watery whey is drained out so that more concentrated curds are left behind. It can be eaten plain, with crackers or in soup, sauces dips and even melted on snacks.

Next on the list is parmesan. Did you know that parmesan is lactose free? It is also rich in proteins calcium and vitamin A. Parmesan is particularly recommended to athletes, elderly, children and even toddles due to its digestibility. Just like cheddar, parmesan starts off the same, but after curds are formed, they are cooked and then pressed in to molds for several days. After the days are over, the cheese is salted in brine for about four weeks and then laid on wooden shelves to age for 14 to 18 months. You can grate it and put it over salads, pastas and spaghettis. You can even stir it in soups or put it in a burger.

Lastly but not least is mozzarella. My favorite cheese! Mozzarella is most commonly found on pizza’s and lasagna. The milk is first incubated with a whey starter containing thermophilic bacteria and then rennet is added to form the curds. The curds are then stretched, kneaded until it is smooth and then formed into round balls to make fresh mozzarella cheese.