Saturated fats are contributors to a high level of 'bad' cholesterol and they provide 9 calories per gram. As a result, it's possible to get a lot of calories in a small quantity, and too much of the cholesterol forming compounds at the same time.

Reducing consumption is difficult for some. Cheese is not only a very enticing food, but it's a common ingredient in a wide range of recipes - fondue, Welsh Rarebit, pizza, some soups, as a topping on salads… the list goes on and on.

Vegetarians often find it easy to eliminate a lot of animal-based products from their diets, then find that cheese is everywhere. Going to a restaurant and finding something on the menu becomes a real challenge.

Low-fat cheeses can help solve these dilemmas.

Since cheese is made from milk, it's possible to use different sorts to produce it. Though nature isn't so accommodating as to produce a low-fat milk, we can thank the ingenuity of chemists for finding a safe way to produce them. Though natural milk does vary in fat quantity. Milks that are 2% less in fat percentage are considered low-fat. Skim milk contains 1% or less. This can make cheesemaking more difficult, but the products are still outstanding.

One way to cut down on total fat from cheese is to divide and conquer. Chunks served after the main meal can be made of regular milk cheese, but use low-fat cheese in the main dish itself. One potentially tricky aspect, though, is the different way the two melt.

Most low-fat cheeses don't melt as smoothly as regular cheese. The lack of saturated fat molecules makes the result lumpy or stringy. Increasing the heat or lengthening the melting time often results in burning.

In some cases, there are techniques to overcome this limitation. In casseroles, for example, layering the cheese between the strips of pasta can help. The pasta supports the low-fat cheese, which then doesn't need to melt quite as smoothly. Another tip is useful for those cases where the cheese is added on top. Add the cheese later in the cooking cycle than you otherwise would. It will warm, but not melt entirely.

Alternating use of low-fat with regular cheese in this way can help reduce the total quantity of saturated fat consumed. Depending on your diet, that may be enough. Be prepared to sacrifice a little bit of taste, though. Making a low-fat cheese that tastes as good as the regular sort is still proving a challenge.

Start your afternoon with a fine Bel Paese from the Lombardy region in Italy. This creamy, semi-soft cheese is a perfect partner to a fine Chardonnay. The milky aroma will blend nicely with the delicate buttery flavor of that fine white.

Prefer something from farther north? Why not slice off a big wedge of Wensleydale and set it side by side along your tongue with a great Gewürztraminer. This pale yellow delicacy from Wales can be traced back to Cistercian monks in the 11th century. It's an excellent complement to that delicious dry white from Alsace.

Go wild and try a Zamarono, made from unpasteurized Churra sheep's milk from Spain. The nutty flavor combines well with the fermented juice from those Tempranillo grapes. You'll be stomping your heels and clapping your hands in no time.

Had enough of that hot sun? Head to Sweden and try a Graddost. Soft and mild with a hint of tangy bite, just like the inhabitants of that Scandinavian land, it will go nicely with a delicate Chenin Blanc. The wine hails from France's Loire Valley and the pairing makes for a most diplomatic meeting of two great nations.

Head a little south and have a Havarti. This traditional Danish cheese is semi-soft, but the taste is as robust as the people. It makes a fine companion to a Bordeaux and the joining of those traditions of France and Denmark was never more apropos.

Head south again and go for a Gouda. The Dutch have long been among the world's best, and often least recognized, major cheese makers. Pairing a sample with a dry German Riesling will convince even the most hide bound skeptic that these two make the best of friends.

Celebrate your international neutrality by trying an Emmentaler. Mature (aged at least four months), but not wizened, this mild ivory cheese is great for a crackers and cheese dish, not just cooking. Pairing it with a fine Beaujolais from Burgundy will enhance your diplomatic reputation, and make you forget about all the troubles in the world.

Be bold and try a Cheshire, invented in England in the 12th century. Semi-hard, it will have you softening your stance on a variety of issues. Whether red or white, you'll find these lighter than cheddar. Combine it with a lovely glass of Champagne and you will have a delectable dining experience to write home about.

Finish off your world tour with a Cambozola. Creamy and flecked with blue, it's better than Brie for a sunny afternoon. Paired with a grassy Sauvignon Blanc, you won't even need the pasta to consider yourself in a connoisseur's field of dreams.

Be adventurous! See the world.

There's no single way to categorize all the types of cheese that have resulted from the efforts of those culinary artists. They can be separated by length of aging, texture, basic source, fat content or any other way that proves useful. But there are some fairly common divisions, even so.

Fresh cheeses are made with very little rennet, an enzyme used to curdle the milk. In these cases, the acid or acid-producing bacillus is the predominate ingredient that creates curds that form the basis of the cheese. Cottage cheese and Ricotta are familiar types, but Neufchâtel, goat's milk chèvre, and others are made as well.

The type of milk used may serve as a useful starting point. Much commercial, mass-produced cheese is made from cow's milk, of course. Not a bad cheese, but like anything mass produced the uniformity and familiarity make it something less than special. There are much more exotic types, however.

Goat's milk or sheep's milk have been used for thousands of years as the base and they make some fine cheeses. Feta is still a favorite of millions. But the truly adventurous may want to try a mozzarella made from buffalo milk or a fine cheese from the milk of a yak or reindeer. Variety is the spice of life.

The softness or hardness of cheese is a valid criterion, and it isn't always just a matter of fresh versus aged.

Parmesan cheese is a common hard type, but still very tasty. Graviera is a less well known, but still excellent choice. Cheddar may be common, but still a favorite among many, and for good reason. Emmental, a traditional product of Switzerland, should be on anyone's menu.

Softer cheeses are still enjoyed the world over, and fads change. Gouda and Roquefort would have at one time been considered the leading edge. They are still deserving of a place on the plate of any cheese gourmet. For something a little less well known, try an Edam or Kasseri.

For the softest, on those occasions when that's called for, go for the Camembert. But don't miss out on a Manouri or Mizythra, or even a Telemes.

Age is no longer as clear cut a category as might have been the case in the past. At one time, extra sharp cheddar would always have been naturally aged at least two years. But with the techniques of advanced chemistry, it's possible to alter the natural rate at which cheese ages. Still, some will still be allowed to ripen for as long as seven years. If you find one of those, you are truly a connoisseur.

Whether your tastes run to a fine cheddar only a few months old, or a Cornish Yarg that may have sat on the shelf for years, only your taste can decide whether aging is a good thing or bad.

Mild cheeses have a delicate flavor, easy on the tongue. They may be a fresh cheese such as Le Roulé or Le Brin but more often they have been aged over 60 days. That firms them up more than a fresh cheese, but gives them enough spring and tang to delight the tongue. Fresh is more often used for a spread, while mild will be used as part of a sandwich or for a tasty snack.

An excellent mild is the Fleur Du Maquis, made in Corsica from the milk of Lacaune ewes, a type of sheep. Rubbery, but in the right sense, it is a first-rate addition to any fine table. Bouc Emissair is a great alternative. Hailing from Québec, this goat's milk cheese is an impressive slab of mild, light chévre.

On the other end of the spectrum are the sharp cheeses that really wake up the palette. Tangy, full-flavored and often with a beautiful color, a sharp will keep your wits sharp and your tongue delighted.

Any natural sharp cheese will be aged over six months, though the process can be sped up artificially through the marvels of modern chemistry. It's a rare connoisseur who could tell the difference. But whether from nature or the mind of a cheesemaker, these are the bold cheeses. Extra sharp will have been aged over nine months - some as long as ten years - and have the strongest flavor of all.

English cheeses are often of this type. West Country cheddar, for example, is a delightful choice. The Wensleydale is another. Pale, dry and crumbly, it makes for a great addition on a fine cracker. Or you may prefer a Bulgarian feta made from sheep's milk. Tangy and with that afterbite that true cheese lovers look for in a sharp.

In between is a wide variety, sometimes called medium, other times more of a semi-soft or semi-firm. Within these classes are a never ending array of options.

There's the Abbaye de Belloc still made by Benedictine monks in the fashion that originated with the abbey of Notre Dame de Belloc. Made with the milk of sheep raised in the French Pyrenees, it can stand proudly at the center of any table. Or, you may prefer the Amarelo from Portugal's Beira Baixa. This yellow medium has all the tang and vigor of the people of that fine land.

Storage will have an effect on the final result, so take that into account when you select something from the spectrum of cheeses available. Storage at 33ºF (0.5ºC) will help preserve the original flavor and appearance, but cheese is best served at room temperature.

Served at the proper amount, an individual can get a range of valuable nutrients from cheese. A mere ounce of cheddar will provide just over 7 grams of protein, while supplying a little over 200 mg of calcium.

The casein in the milk used to make cheese is a useful protein in supporting health, since it contains all the essential amino acids. The phosphorus in cheese is one of the vital minerals needed for a healthy body, as is sodium which is critical to the heart's activity.

It takes about 10 pounds of milk to produce a pound of cheese, and almost all the nutrition in that original source is preserved in the final product. For the most part, making cheese from milk leaves the original vitamins and minerals intact.

You'll need to take some care to get the best nutrition that cheese has to offer. Long term storage should be between 35-40°F. Once exposed to air, both temperature and organisms will quickly act on the cheese. Flavor is lost quickly as the air dries out the cheese and certain harmless but distasteful molds can grow on the surface quickly.

Cheese stores well at room temperature, so when wrapped properly it can provide that nutrition on the road. In fact, the best cheeses are served at room temperature, since that brings out their full flavor. When a food tastes good, maintaining good nutrition is all the easier. Perpetual bland and tasteless food is not a great incentive to continue on a stringent diet.

Many cheese do contain substantial percentages of fat. But, though it has been the subject of a lot of junk science, fat is actually healthy in moderation. Fat is dense in calories, with each gram supplying around 9 calories. That's the source of much of its bad reputation. For those dieting it is necessary to watch the amount of fat consumed, since it's possible to take in so many calories in a small quantity of material.

Two other sources of its bad reputation are the role it can play in the creation of cholesterol and, of course, the unattractive deposits it forms around the waist. But here again, the key is moderation. In the proper amount, fat is essential to the regulation of certain vital neural processes and helps regulate hormones.

The key is to heed the type and amount of potentially worrisome compounds, such as sodium and fat. It's true that some mass produced cheeses are very high in sodium and contain relatively large amounts of saturated fat. But there are many cheeses that are low or moderate in sodium, and many are made from low-fat milk. Getting the facts of a specific type is the best method for planning your nutritional needs.

That doesn't necessarily mean storing it in a refrigerator, a good wine cellar might be appropriate in some cases. But for most people, the refrigerator is the most convenient and most effective means of storage. Keeping the cheese well sealed, and between 33°F-38°F (0.5°C-3.3°C), is optimal for almost all cheeses.

Softer cheeses, so-called fresh cheeses such as cottage or Mascarpone (a white Italian cheese) or Brie, are the most vulnerable. 'Fresh', in cheese circles, doesn't mean unspoiled, per se. It refers, instead, to the relatively short aging period. Since they're high in moisture, they spoil the most easily. Airborne mold spores combine more readily with food when they have water molecules to latch onto. But even stored correctly, they should be consumed with a few weeks at most, two weeks in most cases.

Even when inside a tightly sealed container, if they've been exposed to air at all, there's typically enough oxygen inside to cause considerable spoilage of the surface. That spoilage can propagate to the interior to a degree. Even if that process doesn't proceed very far, soft cheeses are harder to 'fix' by carving off mold spots or moldy surface areas than harder cheeses.

Harder or semi-firm cheeses will last 4-8 weeks if kept well-sealed and wrapped. It's helpful if the wrapping is close to the cheese. That keeps air away from the surface that is inevitably trapped inside the container. Aged cheese can last longer, especially if it's vacuum packed. Small commercial devices for vacuum sealing cheese and other foods are readily available.

Hard cheeses, such as Parmesan or Asiago (a crumbly Italian), can last a very long time but, if not frozen, after a couple of weeks they will lose flavor. When frozen they can be stored for up to about three months.

If you need long term storage in the freezer, be sure to transfer the cheese to the refrigerator for at least a few hours before bringing it out into the kitchen. The more gradual thawing process will help preserve the flavor and texture.

Other cheeses, such as Gouda or Cheddar, don't react well when frozen, even if thawed properly. It's best simply to refrigerate and consume before they spoil. That can be as long as three weeks if they're kept properly. Processed cheddar will last a bit longer, but a gourmet cheese has a much shorter life span.

Left out in the room, even if covered, some cheeses will become oily, a result of fat molecules oozing out of the block as they melt. That can make for an interesting taste variation, but the process shouldn't be allowed to go too far. Serving at room temperature is ideal for most cheeses though slicing is easier for slightly cold cheese. But after a few hours in air most will alter in undesirable ways.

Airborne spores are the primary cause of spoilage and they interact readily with cheese. Heat, per se, isn't the culprit but it encourages most chemical reactions to speed up. So, keeping things stored and cooled will keep your cheeses optimal.

Some, such as Brie or Camembert, become liquid easily since they are already quite soft. Others, like Parmesan, will simply become harder the longer they are heated. Much of the difference has to do with the amount and type of fat molecules suspended throughout the cheese. But we'll skip the chemistry lesson for now.

In general, the more aged the cheese, the grainier it becomes on being melted. Younger cheeses tend to be creamier. Cheddar is an interesting middle ground, since even a fine extra sharp will melt quite nicely and make for an excellent topping on many dish.

On the opposite end of the temperature scale, if your goal is to grate the cheese you'll want to firm it up in the refrigerator. Ditto for easy slicing. For hard cheeses 30 minutes is about right, for softer 20 minutes will often be enough.

However, in the latter case, if you intend to serve a nice cheese course you may want to strike a middle ground. Cheese eaten as an appetizer or after the main meal treat should be served at room temperature. Though a little more difficult to slice that way, it will dry less if sliced later.

If you're using cheese as a topping, to be melted and applied as a garnish, you'll want to grate rather than slice. This opens up all the cheese flavor and allows for a smoother melt. Also, cooking sliced cheese tends to make it rubbery or stringy. Raclette will melt smoothly, but Mozzarella becomes stringy, for example. Unless that's the effect you're going for, grate instead.

Some care is required when cooking cheese, since most cheeses will brown, then burn, in high heat. Some of that effect may be desired to bring out a certain flavor profile. But overdoing it just leads to hard, tasteless, carbonized cheese. So, think about adding the cheese later during the cooking time.

If you're counting calories, you may be concerned about the fat content in cheese. Apart from using low-fat cheeses, which can be bland tasting, you can be a little more generous when using it for cooking.

Soft cheeses, like Brie, have a high moisture content. Since fat content is measured dry, Brie and similar cheeses will actually have less fat content per unit weight when cooked than harder cheeses. More aged cheeses, like an extra sharp cheddar, have a more assertive flavor, allowing you to use less and still have a very tasty dish.

As a general rule of thumb, a half-pound of cheese will make about 2 cups of grated cheese. About 2 ounces per person is usually all you need to balance flavor and calories.

Cheese is a tasty and nutritious food, raw or cooked. But used in cooking it can have an entirely new flavor essence from the raw version. Experiment!

Cheese presses are among the oldest of these tools and are used to press the curdled mixture to separate curds (solid parts) and whey (liquid parts). Modern variations have become increasingly sophisticated, but still have many of the old-fashioned parts in some form. There are drain holes and some means of applying pressure, usually through a screw down mechanism. Some true traditionalists still pride themselves on using good old gravity, a tub of cheddar curds with a board that's pressed on. Great fun!

One of the oldest cheesemaking tools still around is the hot iron. Rarely used today, except for fun, applying a hot iron to developing cheese creates long strings. Depending on how long they are and how they separate, the cheesemaker can get an idea of the amount and type of acids inside the mixture. That's important for knowing how the cheese will develop over coming weeks and months. More fun! Today, simple and highly accurate chemical tests are typically used instead.

On the more practical side for the home chef there is a wide range of tools for shaping, slicing, cutting and preparing cheese.

Graters, per se, are of course a dime a dozen. But there are many dozens of different styles, all having slightly different uses. The fine grater helps grate cheese into small, rectangular pieces suitable for topping a dish raw or cooked. The shaver makes those pieces larger, both wider and longer.

A variation on the theme is a cheese rasp. Perfect for shredding cheese, it makes those pieces even finer. That makes for a very fine sprinkling that is superior for adding to soups or a very fine topping. A six-sided box grater will often combine many functions in one tool. Every kitchen must have one.

A wire slicer is de rigeur. Using a strong, thin wire held between two large tines, these handy tools help peel off a rectangular slab about 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) wide and a 1/4 inch (0.6cm) thick. Perfect for making an array on a cheese dish for that multiple cheese course after the main meal.

A cheese plane performs a similar service, making it possible to slice off a thin layer cleanly. Most will have a sharp opening in the middle of a pie-shaped serving surface and a convenient handle. An indispensable tool for cheese lovers.

Not surprisingly, there are a thousand and one styles of knife for every conceivable occasion. One of the more interesting types is the skeleton cheese knife. A sharp edge combines with a series of holes and a double point on the end. Its 'skyscraper I-beam'-like design makes slicing a breeze.

Don't forget about that fondue pot and fondue forks. Whether iron, stainless steel or even glass, you'll find a dozen variations to suit any individual taste. A favorite is the type with a glass insert and that holds the forks in individual, easy to access holes.

Cutting boards, serving dishes, special storage containers, warming plates…. this could go on forever! Vive La Cheese!

All cheese is made from milk, but the variety is astounding. Though most commercial cheese today uses cow's milk, it wasn't always so. Even today there are many specialty cheeses made, as they were thousands of years ago, from goat's milk, sheep's milk or even the milk of horses. Buffalo's milk has been used to make a certain kind of mozzarella.

Whatever forms the base, the basic process is essentially the same. Left to its own devices in heat, milk will sometimes curdle. That process can be helped along by vinegar or the addition of certain kinds of acid or acid-producing bacteria.

Often lactococci are used, sometimes lactobacilli or streptococci. Yes, who knew that something that gives humans a nasty disease could be used to create a fine cheese product? Swiss cheese uses a propionibacter shermani culture that produces carbon dioxide bubbles in the cheese, which makes its distinctive holes. The different bacteria used contribute heavily to the product's final flavor.

The curdling process results in curds (the solid chunks) and whey (the liquid portion). Whey has been drunk for centuries and provides excellent nutrition. But the curds form the basis for cheese. Depending on which bacteria are used and exactly how the heating and pressing processes are performed at this point, different cheeses result.

Rennet is added causing the cheese to harden into a strong, rubbery gel for most types of cheeses. The proportion is varied, with less being used for fresh, soft cheeses and more for harder, longer-aged varieties.

The curds are separated from the whey in a collander-type device, then either moistened or dried. For cheeses that are intended to be very dry, or already contain excess moisture, the cheese may be set up high in a dryer, near ventilation. For more moist cheese, it may be set in a shed closer to the bottom, where the air is more dense with water.

After the initial drying process, the cheese is pressed into the desired shape often a 'wheel' - a large flat-sided donut shape for aging. At this point, the affineur enters the scene. Not a cheesemaker, per se, the affineur is an expert in taking the cheese at an early stage and aging it to perfection.

Much as a winemaker might get his grapes, or even the must, from someone else, then applying his knowledge, the expert affineur has vast experience turning ordinary cheese into a work of art.

This aging process may be as short as a few weeks, or as long as six months or more, depending on the type and style of cheese being matured. During this period it may be salted, have emulsifiers added or various other refining tasks applied.

The final result is then molded, stretched, chopped and/or washed to be consumed or marketed. A rind may develop naturally, or it can be applied in the form of wax to seal the cheese.

So, next time when you bite into one of those delicious chunks of yellow, white or bluish works of art give a thought to the artists who created it.

But the process really began in earnest with the arrival of the Romans. As their empire spread, they borrowed the local knowledge - as they had in so many places - and added to it. Larger Roman homes had entire rooms set aside for cheesemaking, developing it to a high art.

As the empire spread throughout Europe and the British Isles, so too did cheesemaking. Homer (circa 1184 BC) makes reference to cheeses made in the caves of Greece from sheep and goat's milk. Aristotle (384-322 BC) comments on the cheese made from the milk of mares and jackasses.

France, late to the game, but unparalleled in artistic invention, now produce over 300 types of cheese. In the Middle Ages, their output was much simpler, but even then the monks were becoming a center of creation. Gorgonzola saw its first appearance around 879 AD, Roquefort in 1070 AD.

The Italians weren't far behind, producing Parmesan (a kind of hard cheese) just prior to the end of the 16th century. Not for nothing is that city of the same name known as a center of wine and cheese.

The Swiss, when they were still known as the Helvetica tribes, developed their distinctive style using propionibacter shermani bacteria. It produces carbon dioxide bubbles, which causes the holes in Swiss cheese. The Netherlands developed Gouda around the end of the 17th century as cow's milk became the preferred source of cheese.

Even by this late date cheese was still very much a small craftsman's art. But with the coming of the Industrial Revolution it wasn't just steel and rails that began to be mass produced. The first plant for producing cheese on a large scale was founded in Switzerland in 1815. The U.S. got into the act in a big way not long after.

In 1851 a dairy farmer named Jesse Williams created an assembly line for making cheese on his farm in Rome, New York. Williams brought cheesemaking firmly into the modern age. Taking milk from hundreds of nearby farms, he produced cheese in abundance.

By the 1860s rennet came into widespread use. An enzyme from calves stomaches that helps speed the transformation of the milk into curds, it wasn't long before chemists manage to synthesize it. Today, especially since the ramp up from WWII, it is used the world over to produce huge quantities that are exported everywhere.

Though its history is ancient, the production of cheese - both industrial and as a personal craft - continues apace. There are more types to choose from than at any time in its 5,000 year lifespan.