2 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:I thought it was particularly interesting in that China is not the country that usually comes to mind in association with cheese.
Indeed, but there are a few places which have cheese. All are areas known for their ethnic minorities. Han Chinese, who make up the overwhelming majority do not have a cheese tradition.
The troubled province of Xinjiang is traditionally closer in culture to the 'stans' such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Takikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan which it borders, and most of which have cheeses. It was referred to in the past as Chinese Turkestan.
The area also borders Tibet which has a small cheese culture.
Yunnan province has the well known cow's milk cheese, Rushan (乳扇 - rǔshān, literally "milk fan") and my favourite, Rubing (Chinese: 乳饼 - rǔbǐng, literally milk cake) a lovely goat's milk cheese made by the BAi ethnic mminority.
Inner Mongolia (the Chinese province) also has cheeses including one very similar to cheddar.
Apart from the last, they tend to be soft cheeses for eating very young. A 3,600 year-old rubing would not make a pleasant lunch.
