Before empires and royalty, before pottery and writing, before metal tools and weapons – there was cheese. As early as 8000 BCE, Neolithic farmers began a legacy of cheesemaking almost as old as civilization. Today, the world produces roughly 22 billion kilograms of cheese a year, shipped and consumed around the globe. Paul Kindstedt shares the history of one of our oldest and most beloved foods.

In the premiere episode of 'Price Points', Epicurious challenged cheese expert and noted author Liz Thorpe to guess which one of two cheeses was more expensive. Liz breaks down cheap vs expensive parmesan cheese, goat cheese, gruyère cheese, feta cheese, and blue cheese. For each round of cheap cheese vs expensive cheese, Liz visually analyzed, smelled, then executed a taste test before guessing which cheese cost more. Once the prices were revealed, Thorpe explained why a specific cheese making process costs more and dives into the specifics of how to make the different cheeses.

In this episode of 'Price Points', Epicurious brings back cheese expert and noted author Liz Thorpe to guess which one of two cheeses is more expensive. Liz breaks down brie cheese, cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, mozzarella cheese, and washed rind cheese. For each round of cheeses, Liz looks at, smells, and taste tests before guessing which cheese costs more. Once the prices are revealed, Thorpe explains why a specific cheese making process costs more and dives into the specifics of how to make the different cheeses.

The Gorgonzola industry is worth over $800 million. Almost 5 million wheels are produced each year and production is confined to the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. There are only 29 dairies in the world certified to produce this cheese. We visited Caseificio Si Invernizzi in Trecate, Piedmont, Italy, where between 450 and 500 Gorgonzola wheels are made every day.

A wheel of parmesan cheese can cost over $1,000. A single wheel takes at least one year to age, 131 gallons of milk to make, and it can only be made in a restricted area in northern Italy, in the region of Emilia Romagna. We visited a dairy in Parma, Italy to find out how the cheese is made and why it is so expensive.

Cheese from all around the world comes in different forms, textures, and colors, from white to blue. It’s eaten in many different ways, and some cheeses have legends or myths behind their invention Let’s take a look at what cheese looks like around the world.

A brief explanation about how Mozzarella is made.

Inside the Factory | Cheese Making & Dairy Making