According to legend, cheese was 'discovered' in the Middle East by an unknown nomad who had filled his saddlebag with milk. After several hours riding he found that the milk had separated into pale watery liquid and solid white lumps. The saddlebag, made from animal stomach, contained an enzyme which transformed the milk into curds that could be eaten and whey that he could drink.

In the Roman era, cheese-making knowledge grew, and it was discovered that various treatments and storage conditions resulted in different flavors and characteristics. Then, during the Middle Ages, monks became the innovators and developed many of the cheese marketed today. As cows, sheep and goats only give milk part of the year; farmers also produced cheese to preserve the milk all year long.

The nineteenth century saw the shift from farm to factory production. Today, France produces more than 1,000 cheeses, from very low to very high quality. Different styles and flavors of cheese are the result of using different milk, bacteria and moulds, and varying the length of aging. The animal’s diet, added flavoring agents like herbs, spices or wood smoke, and whether the milk is pasteurized also affects the flavor.

The first step in making any sort of cheese is separating the milk into curds and whey. These days, this is done by adding rennet, vinegar or starter bacteria to the milk, determining the flavor of the cheese.

The curds are then placed in moulds that give the cheese its shape and pressed until the whey to be drained and the curds are a single solid body. The harder the cheese, the more pressure is applied. It will also be salted to add flavor, preserve the cheese from spoiling, and firm up the texture.

A newborn cheese is usually white and rubbery and needs to be left to rest under carefully controlled conditions. This aging period (affinage in French) can last from a few days to several years. As a cheese ages, enzymes transform its texture and intensify its flavor.

Cheeses can also bear the AOC distinction (“appellation d’Origine Controllee, or Appellation of controlled Origin). Which guarantees the cheese originates from a specific region of France and has been produced in a traditional way.

Four main criteria have been precisely laid down for AOC cheeses:

* The origin of the cheese is from a geographically precise region. The milk must come from this region and the cheese must be produced and partly matured there as well.

* The production methods have a strong influence on the characteristics of cheese. To assure high quality, AOC cheeses are made by strictly defined methods that have been handed-down over several centuries.

* The typical characteristics of the cheese - size, rind, texture and minimum fat content - are responsible for its flavor.

* The manufacturers submit themselves to controls by a public control commission. Representatives of the government guarantee the authenticity and quality of the products.

All AOC cheeses are easily recognizable, just look for the distinct trademark on the rind, wrapping or label.

The highest recognition for a cheesemonger is to be named “Meilleurs ouvriers de France”, which means France’s best artisan. Aging cheese has now become a profession that requires a great deal of knowledge and practice. Cheesemongers travel all over France, searching for the best cheeses from farmers still using traditional methods of production, and today the best tables around the world recognizes the effort and know-how that goes into making an excellent cheese.

Some of the best refined cheeses available in Shanghai can be tasted at Laris, 3 on the Bund. Try their cheese plate made of Sainte Maure, Livarot, Brillat Savarin or Laguiole. One of these is guaranteed to delight your taste-buds!