Yang Yimin / University of Chinese Academy of SciencesThe Bronze Age coffin was discovered during the excavation of the Xiaohe Cemetery in 2003. The fact that those items included chunks of kefir cheese alongside the body showed that “cheese was important for their life,” she added. They identified the cheese as kefir cheese, which is made by fermenting milk using kefir grains. The journey of the cheese took them to tracing the journey of the kefir culture, which is used to make the final cheese. Asked if the kefir cheese was still edible and if she would try it, Fu was less enthusiastic.

---

Persons: ”, Fu Qiaomei, Xinjiang —, Yang Yimin, Fu, Ping Wanjing, Fu’s, they’re, ” Fu Organizations: Chinese Academy of Sciences, NBC News, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, “ Locations: HONG KONG, China, Beijing, what’s, Xinjiang, East Asia, Xiaohe, Europe, Caucasus, Russia, Asia, Tibet