Transcript

Ep143: Cheese · Kidcast Daily

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Welcome to Kick Cast Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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Today we're going to take a super cheesy adventure.
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That's right, we're talking all about cheese, What it is, how
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it's made, why there are so many different kinds, and some really
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cool, wacky cheese facts. So grab your snack, maybe even a
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slice of cheese, and let's get started.
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First, let's answer the big question.
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What is cheese anyway? Imagine a block of cheese as a
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magic puzzle made for milk. Cheese is actually made by
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changing milk, usually from cows but sometimes from goats, sheep,
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or even Buffalo, into something solid, creamy, and delicious.
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So cheese is like milk that's been transformed into a new
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shape and flavor, Kind of like how you can build a tower out of
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sand at the beach, but it's still the same sand.
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But how does milk turn into cheese?
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Well, here's where the adventure begins.
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Think of milk as a swimming pool filled with tiny swimmers called
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proteins and fats. To make cheese, you need to get
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those swimmers to hold hands and form a big group so they don't
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float around separately anymore. This is done with the help of
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two things, something called rennet and friendly bacteria.
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Let's talk about the friendly bacteria first.
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These tiny helpers are like the chefs of the cheese world.
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They eat the sugar and milk called lactose and turn it into
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acid. This acid makes the milk taste a
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little tangy and helps the cheese last longer, like how
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putting food in the refrigerator keeps it fresh.
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The bacteria are also what give cheese its different flavors.
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Some cheeses taste mild and buttery, while others taste
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sharp and tangy, all because of the different kinds of bacteria
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used. Next comes rennet, which is like
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a magical pair of scissors. Rennet helps the proteins in the
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milk stick together, turning the liquid milk into a soft, wobbly
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Jelly called curds. It's a bit like when you make
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jello and it goes from liquid to wiggly.
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Jiggly. The liquid that's left behind is
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called whey. If you've ever heard the nursery
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rhyme about Little Miss Muffet, who sat on her tuffet eating her
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curds and whey, now you know what that means.
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Once the curds and whey are separated, the cheese maker
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scoops out the curds and presses them together.
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This step is like squishing play dough into a mold.
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The more you press, the firmer the cheese becomes.
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Some cheeses, like mozzarella, are soft and stretchy because
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they're not pressed as much. Others, like cheddar or
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parmesan, get pressed really hard and aged for a long time,
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so they turn crumbly and sharp. Did you know that there are over
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2000 different kinds of cheese around the world?
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That's enough to try a new cheese every day for almost 6
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years. Some cheeses are soft and
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spreadable like cream cheese, some are gooey and melt in your
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mouth like Brie, and others are hard and crunchy like Parmesan.
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There are even cheeses with holes in them, like Swiss
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cheese. Those holes are called eyes, and
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they're made by special bacteria that create bubbles of gas while
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the cheese is aging. It's like the cheese is blowing
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tiny invisible balloons. Let's take a quick trip around
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the world to discover some famous cheeses.
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In Italy, you'll find mozzarella, which is stretchy
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and perfect for pizza. Parmesan, also from Italy, is
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hard and salty, and people love to sprinkle it on pasta.
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In France, you might find creamy Brie or tangy blue cheese with
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blue or green spots inside. Those spots are actually mold,
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but don't worry, it's a friendly mold that helps give the cheese
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its strong flavor. In Switzerland, people make a
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mental cheese, the one with the big holes.
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In Greece, feta cheese is crumbly and salty, and it's made
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from sheep's or goat's milk. In Mexico, there's a cheese
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called queso fresco, which means fresh cheese, and it's soft and
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mild. And in the United States, you'll
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find American cheese, which melts perfectly on burgers and
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grilled cheese sandwiches. Now let's talk about why cheese
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comes in so many shapes, sizes, and colors.
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Some cheeses are round, like a wheel.
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Others are blocks or wedges. The shape often depends on the
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mold or container they're pressed into.
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The color can change, too. Some cheeses are white, some are
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yellow, and some are even orange.
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The color often comes from what the animals eat or from natural
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coloring. For example, cheddar cheese gets
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its orange color from a plant called anato.
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Cheese isn't just tasty, it's also packed with nutrients.
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It has protein, which helps build strong muscles, and
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calcium, which is great for bones and teeth.
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That's why you often hear that cheese is good for growing kids.
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But remember, cheese is rich, so it's best enjoyed as part of a
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balanced diet. Here's a did you know moment.
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The largest cheese ever made weighed over £57,000.
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That's heavier than 5 elephants. It was made in Wisconsin, USAA
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state famous for cheese. People there are sometimes
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called cheese heads and even were hats shaped like wedges of
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cheese to sports games. Cheese has been around for a
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really, really long time. Historians think people started
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making cheese more than 7000 years ago.
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Back then, there were no refrigerators, so people needed
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a way to keep milk from going bad.
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Turning milk into cheese was like turning your leftover art
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supplies into a cool new project.
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It lasted longer and tasted great.
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You might be wondering, why do some cheeses smell so strong?
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Well, it's because of the bacteria and molds that help the
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cheese ripen. Some cheeses, like Limburger,
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have a very powerful smell, but they taste much milder than they
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smell. So if you ever try a stinky
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cheese, give it a chance. You might be surprised.
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How do you eat cheese? There are so many ways.
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You can slice it, melt it on pizza or pasta, sprinkle it on
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salads, or even eat it with fruit and crackers.
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Some people like cheese in their sandwiches, others enjoy it in
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macaroni and cheese. There's even a special kind of
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cheese called string cheese that you can peel into strips and eat
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bit by bit. It's like playing with your food
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and it's allowed. Let's not forget about the
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cheese making animals. Most cheese is made from cow's
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milk, but there are also cheeses made from goat and sheep milk.
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Goat cheese is often soft and tangy, while sheep cheese can be
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rich and nutty. Each animal's milk gives the
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cheese a special flavor. Just like how different fruits
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taste unique, cheese also needs time to develop its flavor.
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This time is called aging or ripening.
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Some cheeses are ready to eat just a few days after they're
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made, while others take months or even years.
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The longer a cheese ages, the stronger and more complex its
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flavor becomes. It's kind of like letting cookie
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dough chill in the fridge before you bake it.
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The longer you wait, the better it tastes.
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Here's another fun fact. There are cheeses that are so
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rare and special, they're almost like treasure.
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For example, there's a cheese called Pule made in Serbia, and
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it's made from donkey milk. It's one of the most expensive
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cheeses in the world. Cheese is also a big part of
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celebrations and traditions. In England, there's a famous
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event called the Cheese Rolling Race.
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People chase a big wheel of cheese down a steep hill, and
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the first person to catch it wins the cheese.
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It's a wacky and wild tradition, and it shows just how much
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people love cheese. Let's do a quick cheesy quiz.
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What's the name of the holes in Swiss cheese?
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That's right, they're called Eyes.
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What do you call the soft, wobbly part of milk that turns
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into cheese? If you said curds, you're a
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cheese whiz. And what's the liquid left
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behind called? Yes, it's way.
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Before we wrap up, let's imagine a world without cheese.
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No pizza, no grilled cheese sandwiches, no cheesy nachos or
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macaroni and cheese. It would be a much less tasty
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world, don't you think? Luckily, thanks to clever people
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and their cheese making magic, we have thousands of cheeses to
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enjoy. Let's recap what we learned
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today. Cheese is made by changing milk
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with the help of friendly bacteria and magical rennet into
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curds and whey. The curds are pressed and aged
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to make all kinds of cheeses, from soft to hard, mild to
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strong. There are thousands of types of
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cheese from all over the world, and they come in many shapes,
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sizes, and colors. Cheese is not only delicious,
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but it's also packed with nutrients like protein and
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calcium. And let's not forget all the
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amazing cheese facts like the world's biggest cheese and the
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wacky cheese rolling race. So next time you munch on a
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piece of cheese, remember all the science, history, and fun
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that goes into every bite. Thanks for joining us on Kit
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Cast Daily for this cheesy adventure.
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Stay curious, keep asking questions, and we'll see you
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next time for more fun facts and awesome discoveries.