A Day in a Desert (I)

PalmAt home, we never usually cooked two courses; it was more common to have one large dish. Then someone would get up and go get the cheese to complete the meal. I still continue this custom now because cheese is an essential food that I try to always have on hand. I like practically all kinds, varied and with different textures, origins, and stages of maturation, although we are selective depending on the time of day.

The word 'cheese' comes from Latin caseos formaticus, which means cheese (caseosmolded. In Roman times the term became famous formaticum The term has survived among the legionaries and in some languages. Thus, in some languages such as Catalan, French, and Italian it would be "cheese." cheese and formaggioIn contrast, in others the word has prevailed caseosas in Portuguese I fall and into Spanish cheeseThe origins of cheesemaking are debated and cannot be precisely dated, although it is estimated to lie between 8000 BC (when sheep were domesticated) and 3000 BC. According to legend, cheese was discovered by an Arab merchant during a long journey through the desert. The man placed freshly milked milk in a container made from a goat's stomach, but when he went to drink it, he found it had coagulated and fermented due to the rennet from the animal's stomach and the high temperature. Whatever the case, this transformation resulted in the first primitive cheese, possibly a sour and salty paste that kept better than fresh milk. Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans already produced various types of cheese and considered it a valuable food, both for its durability and its nutritional richness. In ancient Greece, Homer already mentions it in theOdysseywhen describing the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus filled with goat and sheep cheeses. The Romans documented maturation and preservation processes and helped spread them throughout the Empire. We can find references to theArt of cookingFrom Apicius, where, despite not being a frequently mentioned ingredient in the cookbook, he does describe a cheese casserole cooked with flaked fish, cooked brains, chicken livers, boiled eggs, and scalded soft cheese. All of this was heated in a pan with sesame seeds, oregano, rue berries, honeyed wine, cumin, and raw eggs to bind the mixture. (The sophistication of Roman recipes never ceases to amaze.) With the decline of Rome, the diversity of cheese in Europe increased significantly, with different regions developing their own distinctive traditions.

Medieval Cuisine

During the Middle Ages, cheese was a widely consumed product, enjoyed by both the upper classes, who considered it a delicacy, and the humblest people, who ate it regularly. Milk was not consumed as a daily beverage, so cheesemaking allowed for its use and preservation. In our region, cheese was consumed from various origins, including Aragon, Lombardy, and Mallorca, among others. According to Isidra Maranges y Prat in Medieval Catalan cuisine (2006), King Martin I wrote in his letters that Mallorca was the main supplier of cheese to the royal household. We don't know how it was made, but it was recommended to use thistle flower and never rennet. The cheeses were named according to some of their most important characteristics: sweet, melting, fresh, dry, salty, fatty, among others. Cheese was important in medieval cuisine; it was eaten at the end of meals, cooked or raw, and was also an ingredient in the dishes served. This product, born from the need to preserve surplus dairy products, became an essential food over time. But this is only the first chapter of a broader journey. In the next article, we will go back in time and also discover some of the most emblematic recipes where cheese is the star.

Today we're cooking a Menorcan recipe from a stately cookbook. The kitchen of Ca n'Squella (Bep Alès, 2023), an originally sweet formula, which was eaten by coating the raolas in sugar or honey and which we have transformed into an appetizer or an accompaniment for a salad or some sauteed vegetables.