World’s oldest cheese has been identified, dating back 3,600 years. Cow and goat DNA, as well as the bacterium Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, has indicated that these clumps were in fact kefir cheese, providing insight into the history and evolution of probiotics and human health.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00899-7

From the linked article:

World’s oldest cheese has been identified, dating back 3,600 years

Bizarre clumps of organic matter found buried alongside Bronze Age mummies in northwestern China have now been identified as cheese. After a decade’s work, DNA analysis has finally uncovered its origins, making it the most ancient cheese ever found, dating back around 3,600 years.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) made this discovery after sampling and analyzing DNA from the clumps found preserved next to the bodies of the Tarim Basin mummies, who were first discovered in the early 20th century and were buried in the region that is now modern-day Xinjiang.

“This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world,” says corresponding author Qiaomei Fu, from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at CAS. “Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity. Studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand our ancestors’ diet and culture.”

And it’s not just any cheese – cow and goat DNA, as well as the bacterium Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, has indicated that these clumps were in fact kefir cheese, providing insight into the history and evolution of probiotics and human health. L. kefiranofaciens is still a key microorganism in kefir soft cheeses. The researchers also identified the microscopic fungal species Pichia kudriavzevii, which is a type of yeast found in kefir grains today.

These kefir grains contain a host of probiotic bacteria and yeast, which is key in fermenting milk to produce kefir products that have been studied for their health impacts, particularly in the areas of the immune and gastrointestinal systems, as well as metabolic regulation.

i dont like milk, but many times i go to a well sorted supermarket i get the organic kefir and i have the feel i am doing my body something good in that moment