Americans love cheese, there’s no doubt about it. In fact, the average person consumes 37 pounds of cheese per year according to recent statistics. That’s not the only mind-blowing fact about cheese, though.
This tasty food is perfect for quarantine recipes or even for use alone as the main course of a meal. From halloumi to Havarti and all the way back around to cheddar and mozzarella, there are numerous types of cheeses to enjoy. Learn some cheese slang first, then check out our list of seven unknown (or at least semi unknown) cheese facts.
Cheese Fun Facts You Want to Know
1. Macaroni & Cheese is the Most Popular Cheese Recipe in the US
This comes as no surprise, but macaroni and cheese is the most popular cheese-based recipe in the United States, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. Other popular cheese-based “meals” that Americans love include nachos, grilled cheese, and casseroles. Craving some tasty mac and cheese now? Check out our article on three great ways to make unique macaroni and cheese dishes.
2. There Are Over 2,000 Types of Cheeses
What’s your favorite type of cheese? It’s probably hard to narrow down as there are over 2,000 different types of cheeses that exist around the world. It’s hard to include a full list of every single cheese on this list of cheese facts, but you can search for them on Cheese.com by country of origin, texture, or even the kind of milk used to make it.
3. Denmark Consumes the Most Cheese
When you think of cheese you might think of Wisconsin, or even France or Switzerland. However, Denmark has the highest level of per capita cheese consumption, followed by Iceland and Finland. Coming in at fourth and fifth were France and Cyprus respectively. How much do the Danish consume? Danish people on average ate 28.1 kilograms of cheese per person. That’s nearly 62 pounds of cheese per year per person.
4. The World’s Most Expensive Cheese Costs Nearly $600
It’s no list of some unknown cheese facts without talking about the world’s most expensive cheese. According to cheese experts, in 2019 the world’s most expensive cheese cost $576 per pound. What kind of cheese costs that much? It’s called Pule, and it’s a crumbly cheese from Serbia. Still, what’s the big deal? They use donkey milk and it takes 25 liters just to make one kilogram of the coveted cheese.
5. Cheese Existed as Far Back as 6,000 BC
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact date when people began to make cheese from milk. However, historians estimate that cheese has been around since at least 6,000 BC. They can see claims and accounts that point to the idea that people living in Mesopotamia at the time used cow and goat’s milk to make cheese.
6. Pizza Hut Uses the Most Cheese
In terms of fast-food chains, Pizza Hut uses the most cheese. Reports show that the large pizza chain uses at least 300 million pounds of cheese each year to produce their popular pizzas. To put that in context for you, according to The Daily Meal, Chuck E. Cheese goes through just 8.5 million pounds of cheese each year.
7. Some Cheeses Are Illegal in the United States
This is one of those cheese facts that’s actually helpful to know, or else you risk running into some legal trouble! Some cheeses are actually illegal in the United States, which means you can’t bring a wheel in on a flight after your next vacation (depending on the cheese). Roquefort and Camembert de Normandie both make the list of forbidden cheeses.
Spending Cheese on Cheese
Has all this talk about cheese facts got you thinking about whether you could earn enough money to fund a cheese addiction? Or, perhaps you’re thinking of how you can take your own hard-earned cheese and invest it to eventually be able to purchase a whole pound of the world’s most expensive cheese.
An easy way to do this is to sign up for a debit card that works with and for you to ensure you’re maximizing your savings without even really needing to do anything else. Oh, yes, we’re talking about our Cheese debit card. Our 0 fee debit card comes with saving bonuses and cashback. So, even when you’re spending your money, you’re saving more with us. Interested? Learn more about the Cheese debit card.
Hey Cheese lovers, here's more about cheese:
3 Unique Ways to Make Mac & Cheese
5 Fun Facts About Chuck E. Cheese
All You Need to Know about Raclette Cheese
Fan of Philly Cheesesteak? You Can't Miss on This!
3 Tasty Cheese Dishes to Make In 2020
