How to Write an Essay on the History of Cheesemaking

Why This Topic Works

Cheese has existed for roughly 7,000 years. The earliest physical evidence comes from pottery fragments discovered in Poland and analyzed by researchers at the University of Bristol in 2012. This already gives the writer a solid historical anchor, which many broad or vague history topics lack.
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The beauty of this topic is that it easily crosses academic disciplines. A student can approach it from an agricultural perspective, an economic viewpoint, or even through the lens of religious history. Benedictine monks, for example, refined many of the traditional aged cheeses still famous in France today. Details like this turn an ordinary paper into a memorable one.

Choosing a Focus

The biggest mistake students make is trying to cover everything—from ancient Mesopotamian shepherds to modern processed cheese. A strong essay needs a narrower angle. Some effective directions include:

• the role of monastic communities in preserving cheesemaking during the Middle Ages
• the Roman Empire’s influence on standardizing cheese production
• how pasteurization reshaped artisan and industrial cheese
• the development of PDO laws and regional identity in the EU
• the Wisconsin cheese boom and the role of German immigrants

Each of these topics offers a clear argument and room for meaningful analysis.

Structuring the Essay

Instead of forcing the essay into a rigid five-paragraph model, it’s better to use a more narrative, historically grounded structure:

• Opening: a specific discovery or moment that introduces the topic
• Context: why cheesemaking mattered in that era
• Development: how methods, trade, or culture changed over time
• Tension: a turning point, such as industrialization or regulation
• Resolution: what this history reveals about food, culture, and human creativity

This flow mirrors the way real historians write—through narrative rather than formula.

Using Solid Sources

Good sources matter. Reliable materials include Paul Kindstedt’s Cheese and Culture, articles from JSTOR, The Oxford Companion to Cheese, and FAO data. Statistics also help; for instance, global cheese production reached about 23 million metric tons in 2022.

Ending With Purpose

A strong conclusion shouldn’t simply restate the thesis. Instead, it should leave the reader thinking—perhaps by asking why humans value tradition in something as simple as curdled milk, or by showing how cheesemaking reflects broader patterns of migration and innovation. A great history essay doesn’t slam the door shut; it leaves it slightly open.