Before empires and royalty, before pottery and writing,
before metal tools and weapons – there was cheese.
As early as 8000 BCE,
the earliest Neolithic farmers living in the Fertile Crescent began a legacy of cheesemaking almost as old as civilization itself.
The rise of agriculture led to domesticated sheep and goats,
which ancient farmers harvested for milk.
But when left in warm conditions for several hours,
that fresh milk began to sour.
Its lactic acids caused proteins to coagulate, binding into soft clumps.
Upon discovering this strange transformation,
