No one knows who made the first cheese， but an old legend says that it was an Arabian merchant. He put his milk in a pouch① made from a sheep’s stomach and set off across the desert. The jouncing② of his camel③， the desert heat， and the chemicals in the pouch lining made the milk separate into curds④ and whey⑤. The thick part， or curd， was the first cheese.
Ancient records show that cheese has been eaten for more than four thousand years. From earliest times it has been considered a very nourishing food. Americans eat less cheese than people in some countries do， yet they still consume eight to ten pounds a year per person.
Today cheese is made all over the world. Most cheese is made from cow’s milk， because the supply of this milk is greater throughout the world. Smaller quantities come from the milk of other animals—goats， sheep， camels， and even reindeer⑥.
① pouchn. 小袋，囊
② jouncev. 使震动，使颠簸
③ cameln. 骆驼
④ curdn. 凝乳
⑤ wheyn. 乳浆，乳清
⑥ reindeern. 驯鹿
乳酪的传说
没有人知道谁制成了第一块乳酪，但是一则古老的传奇故事说，那是一位阿拉伯商人。他把牛奶放在用羊胃做成的旅袋里，动身穿过沙漠。骆驼的摇动，沙漠的灼热，以及旅袋里层中的化学物质使牛奶离析成凝乳和乳清。这稠的部分，或者说凝乳，便是第一块乳酪。
古老的记载表明，人们食用乳酪已有4000多年的历史了。从最远古的时代起，它就被看成是营养丰富的食品。美国人比某些国家的人吃乳酪要少些，然而，每人一年仍要消耗8到10磅。
今天，世界各地都制造乳酪了。大部分乳酪是用牛的奶做的，因为在全世界这种奶的供应量较大。少量乳酪来自其它动物的奶，如山羊、绵羊、骆驼，甚至驯鹿。