What is National Cheese Day - Cheesy celebration menu for 2021?

Laelia Yang January 05, 2021 | 00:00

There are hundreds of national days in the US that relate to culinary culture including the National Cheese Day held on June 4 with a series of interesting activities. Let's take look at the day of "cheesy celebration" and how it differs from the National Cheese Lovers' Day.

What is National Cheese Day - Cheesy celebration menu for 2021?

A wide variety of cheeses. Photo: foodimentaryguy.files.wordpress.com

Unlike other food holidays, cheese doesn't sit on its own on many menus. However, it's a big piece of many menu items. So, prepare to celebrate National Cheese Day on June 4 by doing what you already know how to do so well: Eating cheese.

Cheese

Cheese is an ancient food made of milk. There are many factors that contribute to the type and taste of cheese that is available: country of origin, the diet of the animal, whether it has been pasteurized, how long it has been aged, and the mold and bacteria. Therefore cheese is available in a wide range of flavors, textures, and forms. Milk from goats, cows, sheep, buffalo can be used for cheese production. Different spices, fruit, and even wood smoke are used as flavor agents, that give the cheese a unique taste and texture.

In 2014, world production of cheese from whole cow milk was 18.7 million tonnes, with the United States accounting for 29% (5.4 million tonnes) of the world total followed by Germany, France, and Italy as major producers. Despite these huge figures in relation to cheese production, the USA is not considered the largest exporter of cheese as the majority of domestic cheese production is consumed nationally, reported Awarenessdays.

Cheese is high in fat, calcium, and protein and has some excellent health benefits but… always consume in moderation! We think that the best way to eat cheese is to serve it on a cheese plate with grapes, olives, tomatoes, and some crackers or fresh bread.

What are the seven types of cheese?

Fresh
Aged fresh
Soft white rind
Semi-soft
Hard
Blue
Flavor added

What cheeses are used on pizza?

American style pizzas typically use mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, and cheddar.

Where does cheese come from?

Cheese can be made from the milk of cows, goats, buffalo, reindeer, moose, donkies, horses, alpacas, camels, and humans.

5 Facts about cheese that will blow your mind

It’s vegan!

Okay, not really, but dairy-free cheese is definitely having a renaissance. Food experimentation has come a long way in recent decades offering up many plant-based cheese alternatives you can find at major grocery retailers or your local vegan butcher shop.

Americans cut the cheese

Contrary to popular assumption the U.S., not Europe, is the biggest producer of cheese, making up 29% of the global market. In order, the top producing countries are the United States, Germany, France, and Italy.

Don’t forget the stomach

Rennet is curdled milk and complex enzymes found in the fourth stomach of unweaned calves and is often added in the cheese-making process, as it is considered to make a bolder, richer quality product.

Medieval curds

The most popular types of cheeses of today like gouda, cheddar, parmesan, and camembert, all came into vogue during or after the Middle Ages.

Cheesy Moon

The long-standing myth that the moon is made out of cheese may stem from “The Proverbs of John Heywood” back in 1546 which stated, "the moon is made of a green cheese." We now understand this to be more metaphor than literal, with “green” referring to the freshness or un-aged nature of the moon.

The History of National Cheese Day

According to Nationaltoday, Cheesemaking is ancient, some might even say sacred, craft. So ancient in fact it predates recorded history. It is speculated that the magic of cheesemaking began somewhere around 8000BCE shortly after the domestication of animals. Archeological digs have found evidence of cheese around the world including strainers coated in milk-fat molecules in Kuyavia, Poland dated around 5500BCE, murals in Egypt dated at 2000BCE, and an artifact of preserved cheese in Xinjiang, China believed to be more than 3,000 years old! European Imperialism took their styles of cheese through Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and eventually to the Americas.

The most popular cheese of all is (obviously) mozzarella. This delicious and pizza topping cheese was first created near Naples from the rich milk of water buffalos. At the time, it rarely left its home near Naples, as it was made from pasteurized milk, and a lack of refrigeration meant it had a very short shelf life. As both cheese technology and refrigeration systems advanced, this delicious cheese left the southern region of Italy and found itself traveling around the world.

There are two types of mozzarella produced within the United States — low moisture and high moisture. Low moisture mozzarella has a moisture content of less than 50% while high moisture has a content of over 52%. Low moisture is made specifically for transportation and mass production as the lack of moisture gives it longer shelf life.

Today, cheese dishes can be found on every continent served savory, sweet, melted, deep-fried, and even chilled in ice cream. This household staple can still satisfy any craving after thousands of years.

Celebrating National Cheese Day

Photo: thrillist.com

If you want to celebrate National Cheese Day, you can try these activities recommended by Nationaldaycalendar:

Charcuterie

Make a spread of some of your favorite cheeses to enjoy solo or with friends. Try working in new and international varieties you’ve never tried before. Check out Pinterest for ideas on the best meat, wine, and veggie pairings.

Take a cooking class

You may be surprised at how many cheese-themed educational experiences there are. Learn how to make your own cheese at home, the perfect drink and food pairings, or discover a new cheesy dish. With workshops, in-person classes, and free online tutorials there are a lot of ways you can learn to enjoy this ancient culinary staple.

Cook something

Whether traditional comfort food like mac n cheese, the tangy sweetness of cheesecake, or the contemporary refinement of stuffed pull-apart bread there are countless cheese recipes to try. Why not try a new twist on a family recipe or search the internet for the latest cheese trend. You can start simple with a five-ingredient ricotta cheese recipe.

National Cheese Day Dates

Year	Date	Day
2021	June 4	Friday
2022	June 4	Saturday
2023	June 4	Sunday
2024	June 4	Tuesday
2025	June 4	Wednesday

On This Day in Food History

1718 Thomas Chippendale, famous furniture designer and maker was born

1856 The first Vegetarian Community was established in Kansas.

1876 Foil wrapped bananas are sold for a dime at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Bananas become a popular treat for the first time in the U.S. when word spread about how delicious they were.

1877 New York taxed oleomargarine to protect the dairy industry.

1883 Horlick’s developed the process to dehydrate milk, and patented it in 1883, calling it Malted Milk. Horlick’s originally produced food for babies and invalids, that could be shipped without spoiling.

1934 R.I.P. Charles Francis Jenkins. An inventor, Jenkins is best known as an early television pioneer. Among his many inventions was a cone-shaped drinking cup.

1977 The Apple II, the first personal computer went on sale.

1977 Alice Cooper’s pet boa constrictor died after its dinner of a rat bit it first.

2007 Food scientist Edwin Traisman died at age 91. He helped develop Cheez Whiz for Kraft and later helped develop methods to standardize the French fries served at McDonald’s restaurants. He also worked on research into the risks of various strains of E. coli bacteria.

Do not mistake it with the National Cheese Lover’s Day

National Cheese Lover’s Day, takes place on January 20th is a good day to coming over and have some cheddar or asiago or fontina, according to National Day Calendar.

There is no firm evidence of how cheese making was discovered. but legend tells us it was likely by chance that someone created the first cheese. Thousands of years ago, people transported milk and stored it in sheep stomachs. Left to sit a few days, the proteins would separate into curds and whey. From there, preserving the solids with salt may have seemed a logical next step. Salt was a highly valued preservative in ancient times.

The earliest record of cheese making dates back to 5,500 BCE in what is now Poland. Today there are over 1,400 varieties of cheese.

CHEESY WAYS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER'S DAY

Ricotta Parmesan Tomato Tart

Four full cups of Parmesan and ricotta are the keys to this easy-breezy heirloom tomato tart. Make the dough in the food processor, let it chill, and bake it in just 12 minutes. The tart itself is full of raw, gorgeous tomatoes, uncooked cheese, and fresh herbs. It doesn’t get more summery than this, recommended by Williams-sonoma's blog.

Summer Vegetable Lasagna

There’s such a bevy of beautiful veggies to use up this time of year. You’re happily overwhelmed summer squash, bell peppers, and zucchini. So make this summery vegetable lasagna, and rejoice that you’ve cleaned the counters of that kaleidoscope of veggies in one fell swoop.

Gruyère Parmesan Souffle

As is true of their cousin popovers, you can absolutely serve a souffle for breakfast before the house heats up for the day. This Gruyère and Parmesan beauty is delicate, lovely, and so yummy alongside a few fried eggs and a couple of sausages.

Summer Squash Parmesan

Just the thing to serve if you have leftover grilled summer squash from the night before, this cheesy vegetarian dish is a delightful alternative to chicken Parm. You can even serve it at room temperature on scorching summer days.

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