A quality vintage cheddar is a must-have on any respectable cheese platter.
While most varieties are aged for approximately 12 months, this is relatively brief compared to the world’s oldest cheese, which has a history dating back 3,600 years.
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Scientists have obtained DNA samples from the cheese, allowing its fundamental constituents to be identified.
Research indicates that the ancient delicacy was crafted from kefir, a vibrant and nutritious fermented milk beverage renowned for its numerous health benefits, particularly for the digestive system.
Approximately twenty years ago, a team of archaeologists came across enigmatic white substances applied to the heads and necks of multiple mummies unearthed in the Xiaohe cemetery in the Tarim Basin region of Northwestern China.
These mummies date back approximately 3,300 to 3,600 years to the Bronze Age.
At the time, researchers considered these substances to be a type of dairy product that resulted from fermentation, but they were unable to pinpoint their exact classification.
Now, employing cutting-edge DNA analysis techniques, researchers have finally deciphered the long-standing enigma.
Researchers confirmed the white substances were indeed a type of kefir cheese by identifying DNA from cows and goats in the samples.
The samples from three different tombs contained species of bacteria and fungi including Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Pichia kudriavzevii – both commonly found in present-day kefir grains.
Kefir grains are clusters of microorganisms consisting of various probiotic bacteria and yeast species that convert milk into kefir cheese through a fermentation process.
In addition to increasing the “good” bacteria in our digestive systems, kefir is believed to be beneficial for bone health, reducing blood sugar levels and promoting cardiovascular well-being.
“This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world,” Professor Qiaomei Fu, head of the ancient DNA laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated.
‘Offering insights into culinary traditions of the ancient past, food items such as cheese provide exceptional challenges for long-term preservation. The rarity and value of such finds are immense.
‘Studying these ancient dairy products in great detail can help us gain a better insight into our ancestors’ eating habits and way of life.’
The ability to sequence the genes of the bacteria in ancient kefir cheese allowed the team to study how probiotic bacteria changed over the past 3,600 years.
New discoveries have contradicted the long-held assumption that kefir originated in the North Caucasus mountain region of Russia solely.
They propose that kefir culture may have been preserved in China’s Northwestern region of Xinjiang since the Bronze Age.
The study also showed that modern varieties have a lower likelihood of triggering an immune response in the human intestine compared to ancient kefir bacteria, which makes it simpler to digest.
‘This is a groundbreaking study that enables us to observe how a bacterium evolved over a period of three thousand years,’ Professor Fu added.
‘By studying dairy products, we’ve obtained a more distinct image of ancient human existence and their connections with their environment.’
Today, kefir products include beverages, yogurts, and ice cream.
The results of the research were published in the magazine Cell.
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