Lakes Region: Pineland Farms Cheese Maker Sets High Goals

Cheese is an old food and is mentioned in the Bible. In addition to salt, Romans paid their soldiers in cheese and are credited with recording the first recipe. Like beer, it's one of those products that was probably discovered by accident – the result of just the right ingredients and conditions.

Mark Whitney, creamery manager at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, says nobody knows for sure, but this velvety delectable probably occurred while transporting milk across the desert. Cultures of early times typically carried milk in natural containers like animal stomachs.

"The rennet enzyme, which makes milk coagulate, is naturally found in the stomach," Whitney said. "So if you put milk in one of those stomach skins strapped to your camel riding across the desert, by the time you got to your destination the heat and the enzyme would have turned the milk into curds."

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