Prof. Paul Kindstedt of the Univ. of Vermont writes it was first eaten in Anatolia: Turkey and Syria, around 7000 B.C. It was a soft, fresh ricotta/paneer. Inanna, a Mesopatamian goddess married a shepherd and loved the dairy substance. It was a daily offering in temples, calling for the raising of herds of sheep. Wool and textile wealth became the basis of wealth for this early cradle of Western civilization. The Atrusi/Etruscans carried it to the Balkans and Italy where it made war and conquest possible. It was an essential item of food for Roman legions on the march. These soldiers in turn introduced the cheese making process to colder northern climes. He considers cheese a vital component of the Colonial barter exchange for Caribbean sugar which was a product of African forced labour.
