The study of regional foods and cooking traditions is an important part of folklife research. A large number of these traditions in regions of the United States relate to dairy products of European origin, which go back to prehistoric times, when men first domesticated milk-producing animals. One of the problems posed by a perishable product like milk is its preservation in forms that can remain edible. Early in man's development, three processes capable of dealing with this problem were discovered: the souring of milk, the production of butter, and the chemical reconstruction of the solid ingredients in milk into cheese, a durable product ...