Following a course of cheese and wine at a recent dinner party, the question arose, "What’s the difference between regular cheese and processed cheese?" Of course there were several replies, but no one was really certain in their explanations. The discussion aroused this writer’s attention who in turn thought it would be of interest to our readers. So if you are ever asked this question or you’re standing before the dairy counter and wondering what cheese to buy, here is a simple explanation.

Cheese is one of the oldest food sources. It came into being when it was discovered that domesticated animals could be milked. Most historians agree that cheese was first made in the Middle East. A legendary story has it that cheese was discovered by an unknown Arab nomad, who filled a saddlebag with milk to sustain him on a journey across the desert by horse. After riding for several hours, he stopped to quench his thirst, only to find that the milk had separated i...