F for FROMOLOGY

Real cheese and his friend 
dry-cured sausage.
Where's my glass of red wine you ask?
I drank it--pour me another. (:
Savory Sunday post for more.

Fromology is the study of cheese. Not to be confused with Fromophagia which is the act of consuming cheese, a word I may have definitely just made up. In any event, I'm grateful to the cheese gods that I'm not lactose intolerant because, I've been  having a love affair with cheese for years. *hangs head in shame* But not just with any kind of cheese. With real cheese. The individually wrapped, palstic-flavored roofing tile you buy at the supermarket, is not cheese. Not by a long shot. Not even at the molecular level. Real cheese gives me a foodgasm in three seconds. (Think: When Harry Met Sally). 

Cheesy Tidbits:

• The French word for cheese is fromage.

• There are 350-400 different kinds of cheeses produced in France (wikipédia). Though some sources claim the number is much higher. 
• Cheese consumption predates recorded history.
• The United States is the top cheese producer in the world.
• France is the top exporter of cheese in the world. (Source)
• Hilary Melton-Butcher at Positive Letters . . . inspirational stories did a wonderful  C post on cheese. She gives some  interesting fact about English cheese that you should check out if you haven't already. 

WARNING 

THE FOLLOWING IS NSFB: NOT SUITABLE FOR BREAKFAST 

or even lunch or dinner . . .

• Casu marzu is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that is also called Maggot Cheese. Why is it call that? Because it contains live fly larvae, Piophila casei.  The fly larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese to produce a higher level of fermentation. The texture becomes very soft and somewhat leaky. That's because it's a rotting cheese corpse! Some people brush away the larvae before snacking on a slice of  Casu marzu, while other do not. Ok, so that's pretty gross even by my standards, but still pretty interesting. Right? 

Cheesy Quotes:

“How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” 

―Charles de Gaulle

“Give me a good sharp knife and a good sharp cheese and I’m a happy man.” 

―George R.R. Martin

“Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.” 

―G.K. Chesterton, Alarms and Discursions

Other fabulous F_ology words:

Futurology: The study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures. Also called Futures studies (Wikipedia). Futurology uses systematic and pattern-based knowledge of past and present events, futurologists attempt to determine the likelihood of future events, what is likely to continue, and what could plausibly change in our future. If you have time, check out Symphony of Science: The Case for Mars. "The future is out there."

Foliology: The study of autumn leaf color changes.

Fermentology: The science that studies fermentation and ferments, especially those that deal with the production of alcoholic beverages. For example, the study of beer brewing.

"Ummm, it's not what you think offiffer. I'm a feermentologisst. I'm not drinking in public. I'm concocting important research."  *hiccup*

****

Enjoy your weekend everyone.
See ya Monday for more ologies! 
(;