Cheese is inarguably one of the oldest known foods to mankind. Did you know that the earliest form of cheesecake was fed to athletes in ancient Greece to help induce energy? The usage of cheese was more widespread than it seems, as archaeologists have now uncovered blocks of white cheese in Egypt that go back 2,600 years.
In an Egyptian archaeological mission that is working in Giza’s Saqqara necropolis, archaeologists uncovered multiple blocks of white cheese that possibly date back to the 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt (664–525 BC). The exquisite find by the team was also lauded by the country’s antiquities ministry which said in a statement that the task was accomplished during the first round of excavations of the mission’s sixth season, which started two weeks ago.
It was further revealed in the statement that through the mission a number of clay receptacles were unearthed, which contained cheese inscribed with Demotic script — ancient Egyptian writing also found on the Rosetta Stone royal decree. Various other fascinating containers were also found in the mission that will be opened in a few days for further examination.
The Saqqara necropolis is home to some of Egypt’s oldest relics, and thus it has become a major hot spot for archaeologists and history enthusiasts alike. Since 2018, various missions have been carried out at the site and yielded many interesting finds. But the unearthing of white cheese in ancient vases confirms that lovers of cheese have been around since time immemorial, spread across different parts of the world.
Cheese, for the uninitiated, is a dairy product produced in a wide range of flavours, textures, and forms by coagulation of milk. There are so many kinds of cheese available around the world, in India alone, we have plenty of our own like paneer, bandel, kaladi, etc. Now, if you have by any chance started craving a cheese sandwich after reading all this, then obviously you are not alone. Here’s a delish recipe you can try now. Do let us know how you liked it.