Where does cheese originate from?

The origins of cheese production are not entirely clear, but archaeological evidence suggests that cheesemaking practices may have emerged somewhere in the Near East and Central Asia region (where milk-producing sheep and goats lived). Ancient texts and artifacts point to regions in Mesopotamia for some of the earliest examples of the process of turning milk into solid curd form. Later, the art of cheesemaking began to spread west through Europe, eastward into Asia, and eventually became popular worldwide. This early form of fermented dairy likely developed when surplus raw milk was stored in animal rennets (stomach enzymes), causing it to curdle due to the acidity and naturally-occurring enzymes like chymosin, which helped solidify the liquid into edible forms.