Cheese is a type of dairy product formed by the coagulation of the milk protein casein. Prior to refrigeration, the production of cheese and yoghurts were some of the few ways that milk could be preserved for long-terms storage. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During production, milk is usually acidified and either the enzymes of rennet or bacterial enzymes with similar activity are added to cause the casein to coagulate. The solid curds are then separated from the liquid whey and pressed into finished cheese. Some cheeses have aromatic moulds on the rind, the outer layer, or throughout.

Most cheeses are acidified by bacteria, which turn milk sugars into lactic acid; the addition of rennet completes the curdling. Vegetarian varieties of rennet are available; most are produced through fermentation by the fungus Mucor miehei, but others have been extracted from Cynara thistles. For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding acids such as vinegar or lemon juice.

The word cheese comes from Latin caseus, from which the modern word casein is derived. The earliest source is from the proto-Indo-European root *kwat-, which means "to ferment, become sour". That gave rise to cīese or cēse (in Old English) and chese (in Middle English). Similar words are shared by other West Germanic languages—West Frisian tsiis, Dutch kaas, German Käse, Old High German chāsi—all from the reconstructed West-Germanic form *kāsī, which in turn is an early borrowing from Latin.

When the Romans began to make hard cheeses for their legionaries' supplies, a new word started to be used: formaticum, from caseus formatus, or "cheese shaped in a mold". It is from this word that the French fromage, standard Italian formaggio, Catalan formatge, Breton fourmaj, and Occitan fromatge (or formatge) are derived. Of the Romance languages, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Tuscan and some Southern Italian dialects use words derived from caseus (queso, queijo, caș, cacio and caso for example).

Cheese is an ancient food whose origins predate recorded history. There is no conclusive evidence indicating where cheesemaking originated, whether in Europe, Central Asia or the Middle East. The earliest proposed dates for the origin of cheesemaking range from around 8000 BCE, when sheep were first domesticated. Because animal skins and inflated internal organs have provided storage vessels for a range of foodstuffs since ancient times, it is probable that the process of cheese making was discovered accidentally by storing milk in a container made from the stomach of an animal, resulting in the milk being turned to curd and whey by the rennet from the stomach. There is a legend—with variations—about the discovery of cheese by an Arab trader who used this method of storing milk.

The recipes given here are sourced from around the world, and give a broad view of cheese-based dishes globally as well as presenting historical recipes from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.

The alphabetical list of all the cheese-based recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 1236 recipes in total:

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Newfoundland Bakeapple Cheesecake      Origin: Canada	Paneer 65      Origin: Britain	Passatelli in Brodo (Passatelli in Broth)      Origin: Italy
Nidi di Rondine (Swallows' Nests)      Origin: San Marino	Paneer Bhurji      Origin: India	Passatelli in Brodo (Passatelli in Broth)      Origin: San Marino
No Bake Cheesecake      Origin: Britain	Paneer Capsicum Curry      Origin: India	Passion Cake      Origin: Britain
No Crust Easter Pie      Origin: American	Paneer Cheese      Origin: India	Pasta al Limone (Creamy Lemon Pasta with Parmesan)      Origin: Italy
No-bake Cheesecake 3      Origin: Scotland	Paneer Jalfrezi      Origin: Britain	Pasta con Cece (Pasta Soup with Chickpeas)      Origin: San Marino
No-bake Cheesecake II      Origin: American	Paneer Kofta      Origin: India	Pasta Con Sugo ai Funghi (Pasta with mixed mushroom sauce)      Origin: Italy
No-bake Cheesecake IV      Origin: American	Paneer Korma      Origin: Britain	Pasta Crisps      Origin: Britain
No-bake Lemon Cheesecake      Origin: American	Paneer Lababdar      Origin: India	Pasta e Cece (Pasta Soup with Chickpeas II)      Origin: San Marino
No-bake Lemon Soufflé      Origin: Britain	Paneer Lababdar      Origin: India	Pasta Primavera with Dryad's Saddle and Chicken of the Woods      Origin: Britain
No-cook Chocolate Silk Tarts      Origin: American	Paneer Makhani      Origin: India	Pasta with Daylily Flower Buds and Mushrooms      Origin: American
Ñoquis de Papa (Potato Gnocchi)      Origin: Uruguay	Paneer Makhanwala      Origin: India	Pasta with Olives and Caperberries      Origin: Britain
Normandy Cheesecake      Origin: Britain	Paneer Manchurian      Origin: Britain	Pasta with Wild Greens      Origin: Britain
Numb-fish (Electric Ray)      Origin: Roman	Paneer Maza (Chilli Paneer)      Origin: India	Pastai Briwgig Eidion a Nionod (Leek and Caerphilly Cheese Crumble Tart)      Origin: Welsh
Nutty Rice Burgers      Origin: Britain	Paneer Paratha      Origin: India	Pastai Cenin, Panas a Chig Moch (Leek, Parsnip and Bacon Pie)      Origin: Welsh
Ocopa de Camarones (Prawn Ocopa)      Origin: Peru	Paneer Pasanda      Origin: India	Pastai Gocos (Cockle Pie)      Origin: Welsh
Onion Soup with Cheese      Origin: Czech	Paneer Pasanda      Origin: India	Pastai Pysgotwr (Fisherman's Pie)      Origin: Welsh
Onions Stuffed with Meat and Mushrooms      Origin: Czech	Paneer Roll      Origin: India	Pastai Tatws (Potato Pie)      Origin: Welsh
Oozy Orange Cupcakes      Origin: American	Paneer Shabnam      Origin: India	Pastel De Choclo (Corn Pudding)      Origin: Argentina
Orange and Poppy Seed Cupcakes      Origin: Britain	Paneer Sukka      Origin: India	Pastel de Jamón (Ham Cakes)      Origin: Peru
Orange and Walnut Blintzes      Origin: American	Paneer Tikka      Origin: India	Pastel de Papas con Tres Quesos (Potato Cake with Three Cheeses)      Origin: Peru
Orange Cheesecake 2      Origin: Britain	Paneer Tikka Masala      Origin: India	Pastelillos de Guayaba (Guava Pastries)      Origin: Puerto Rico
Orange Chesecake      Origin: Britain	Panettone with Mascarpone and Strawberries      Origin: British	Pastelitos de yuca con atún (Cassava and Tuna Pies)      Origin: Colombia
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting      Origin: American	Pansotti di Rapallo (Pansotti with Walnut Sauce)      Origin: Italy	Pastelón (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)      Origin: Puerto Rico
Ostesmørrebrød (Danish Cheese Open Sandwich)      Origin: Denmark	Pappardelle con Ragù di Funghi Misti (Pappardelle with Mixed Mushroom Ragù)      Origin: Italy	Pastelón de Arroz (Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole)      Origin: Dominican Republic
Ostkaka (Swedish Cheesecake)      Origin: Sweden	Pappardelle with Slow-cooked Beef and Mushrooms      Origin: Britain	Pastelón de Harina de Maíz (Cornmeal and Beef Casserole)      Origin: Dominican Republic
Oven-baked Macaroni and Cheese      Origin: American	Parma Ham and Horseradish Greens Strata      Origin: Britain	Pastelón de Papa (Dominican Cottage Pie)      Origin: Dominican Republic
Oxeye Daisy Filo Rolls      Origin: Fusion	Parma Ham and Squash Blossom Strata      Origin: Britain	Pašticada (Dalmatian Beef Stew with Prunes and Apples)      Origin: Croatia
Oxeye Daisy Pesto      Origin: Britain	Parmentier de confit de canard (Confit of Duck Cottage Pie)      Origin: France	Pastiera di Grano (Neapolitan Grain Pie)      Origin: Italy
Pâtes au Thon (Tuna and Macaroni)      Origin: Algeria	Parmesan Orzo      Origin: Italy	Pastiera di Pasqua (Easter Ricotta Cake)      Origin: Italy
Palak Paneer (Creamed Spinach with Fresh Curd Cheese)      Origin: India	Parseli Ffilo Cennin a Chaws Caerffili (Leek and Caerphilly Cheese Parcels)      Origin: Welsh	Pastiera Napoletana (Naples Easter Cakes)      Origin: Italy
Palak Paneer (Paneer with Spinach)      Origin: India	Parsley Pesto      Origin: Saint Pierre	Pastizzi ta' l-Incov (Anchovy Pastizzi)      Origin: Malta
Pan de Yuca (Cassava Bread)      Origin: Costa Rica	Pasca de Pasti (Romanian Easter Cheesecake)      Origin: Romania	Patellam tyrotaricham ex quocumque salso volueris (A Dish of Cheese and Whichever Salt Fish you Wish)      Origin: Roman
Pan de Yuca (Colombian Yuca Bread)      Origin: Colombia	Pashka      Origin: Russia
Pan Haggerty      Origin: England	Paskha (Russian Easter Cheesecake)      Origin: Russia

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