A good vintage cheddar is a staple on any decent cheeseboard.
But while most varieties are aged for around 12 months, this pales in comparison to the world’s oldest cheese, which dates back 3,600 years.
The ancient cheese was discovered back in 2014 alongside mummies unearthed in China.
Now, scientists have extracted DNA from the cheese to reveal its key ingredients.
Their analysis suggests that the ancient cheese was made from kefir – a trendy fermented milk drink that’s excellent for gut health.
‘Studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand out ancestors’ diet and culture.’
Being able to sequence the bacterial genes in the ancient kefir cheese gave the team an opportunity to track how probiotic bacteria evolved over the past 3,600 years.
Their findings challenge the long-held belief that kefir originated solely in the North Caucasus mountain region of Russia.
Instead, they suggest kefir culture has been maintained in Northwestern China’s Xinjiang region since the Bronze Age.
The study also revealed that, compared with ancient kefir bacteria, modern-day varieties are less likely to trigger an immune response in the human intestine – making it easier to digest.
‘This is an unprecedented study, allowing us how to observe how a bacterium evolved over the past 3,000 years,’ Professor Fu added.
‘By examining dairy products, we’ve gained a clearer picture of ancient human life and their interactions with the world.’
Today, kefir products include drinks, yoghurts and ice cream.
The findings were published in the journal Cell.
