When you think of cheese, you think of Swiss cheese, Dutch Gouda and French Camembert. No European country is bigger in the cheese business than the Germans. Worldwide, only the USA manages larger production. Whether hard or soft cheese, with holes or blue mold – cheese is an integral part of German cuisine. On average, every German eats 25 kilos a year, preferably Gouda.
Theoretically, cheese can even be addictive, as scientists at the University of Michigan discovered. The culprit is casomorphin, which is produced when the milk protein casein is digested. According to the study it has a high addictive potential that is comparable to that of hard drugs. Since casomorphins are opioid peptides, they can bind to the same opioid receptors in the brain as heroin, for example. The happiness hormone dopamine is released. However, such an intoxicating effect of cheese has not yet been conclusively proven.
Is cheese bad for the environment?
Cheese production also has a reputation for being bad for the environment. “Extensive milk production with artificial meadows and concentrated feed is not optimal for the environment,” says cheese world champion and affineer Walo von Mühlenen. Such monocultures are common in areas where, in addition to grass, other things such as potatoes, corn, vegetables, etc. are planted. Things are different in Switzerland. A large part of the milk production takes place in the mountains.
“These alpine meadows are not artificial meadows, but typical flower meadows. Without dairy farming, the biodiversity in these meadows would decline, which would be detrimental to nature,” he says. Walo von Mühlenen knows a lot about cheese; he runs a family business in the fifth generation. He also knows which stories about the cheese are true and which are just nonsense. He explains in the photo series what the truth is in some of the biggest cheese myths.