Cheesy

(Photo by Alice Wiegand)

Long before cameras were invented, people were apparently saying “cheese” with gusto.

This became evident when a 3600-year-old Chinese mummy was found to have cheese “laid out around her neck like a piece of jewelry.”

When paleogeneticist Fu Qiaomei analyzed this post-mortem adornment, she identified it as “kefir cheese” that was fermented from the milk of cows or goats. The addition of kefir bacteria helped the lactose-intolerant Xiaohe people to healthfully digest dairy. 

Over time, humans and kefir became quite compatible.  Our immune systems learned to welcome these tiny helpers into the microbial swamps we harbor within.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/worlds-oldest-cheese-found-ancient-160125930.html