"Picture this. It's a sleepy October afternoon sometime in the 10th century in a monastery not too far from Paris, France. Two monks are testing out different ways to ferment the cow's milk from the monastery's cattle. After trial and error, they discover that adding salt to fermented cow's milk would draw away enough moisture to make it a gooey yet firm substance. That salted mound of cheese would later be sprayed with a fungi (Penicillium) to create a thick crust, and put in a cellar for six weeks. The result? The iconic white-crusted Brie cheese that is now loved all around the world.
"But Brie is
not the only beloved dairy product that we owe to the inventiveness of
monks. From Parmesan to Laguiole, many of the world's most famous
cheeses were invented in European monasteries from the Middle Ages
onward."
In a recent re-post of her commentary, writer V. M. Traverso reflected on some of the monasteries "where iconic cheeses were developed."
To access her complete post, please visit:
Aleteia: V. M. Traverso: The Catholic monasteries that invented our favorite cheeses (6 APR 22)
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