The Science of Cheese
According to the introduction, about one-third of the milk produced in the U.S. is converted to cheese, and Americans consume roughly 34 pounds of cheese annually. This book is a detailed account of the biology, chemistry, and physics of cheese and its formation for the nonscientific reader; however, this is definitely not light reading. Author Tunick, a food scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, takes the reader back 8,000 years looking at the history of cheese from the Fertile Crescent to the present day. Outside of the technical details, broad topics are covered, from etymology (Why is it good to be “the big cheese” but bad to be “cheesy”?) to dietary issues to laws and regulations on cheese and cheese making. The chapter “Do Try This at Home” offers advice on home cheese making and possible science projects for students. Some sections feature highly academic writing, but Tunick has intentionally placed the bulk of that technical information in boxes. There are black-and-white photographs as well as charts and graphs, including a wonderful table of cheeses by country with descriptions of their basic characteristics. A glossary, lengthy list of references, and an index round out the volume. Recommended for academic and large public libraries, although smaller libraries where there is interest in the topic will want to take note of the reasonable price and consider adding this to their collections. --Diana Shonrock