down protein into molecules with fishy,
sweaty, and garlicky aromas (amines,
isovaleric acid, sulfur compounds). These
small molecules can diffuse into the cheese
and affect both flavor and texture deep inside.
Why Some People Can’t Stand Cheese
The flavor of cheese can provoke ecstasy
in some people and disgust in others. The
17th century saw the publication of at least
two learned European treatises “de
aversatione casei,” or “on the aversion to
cheese.” And the author of “Fromage” in
the 18th century Encyclopédie noted that
“cheese is one of those foods for which
certain people have a natural repugnance,
of which the cause is difficult to
determine.” Today the cause is clearer. The
fermentation of milk, like that of grains or
grapes, is essentially a process of limited,
controlled spoilage. We allow certain
microbes and their enzymes to decompose