Your Cheese Has Tiny Living Things Inside — Here's Why!

[00:00:00]Emma, [clears throat] I had a sandwich with that cheese [music] that has all the holes in it and it made [music] me wonder, why does cheese even have holes?

[00:00:13]>> Oh, you mean like [music] Swiss cheese?

[00:00:16]I always thought someone just poked it with a fork or something.

[00:00:20]>> [laughter] >> That's what I thought, too. But Mrs. [music] Johnson said that's not it at all. Wait.

[00:00:30]>> [music] >> Really?

[00:00:31]Then what makes the holes?

[00:00:34]>> This part [music] is kind of gross, but also really cool.

[00:00:39]She said tiny little living [music] things called bacteria are inside the cheese while it's being [music] made.

[00:00:48]>> Wait, bacteria?

[00:00:50]Like germs?

[00:00:52]In cheese [music] we actually eat?

[00:00:55]>> I know, it sounds weird. [music] But she said these bacteria are actually good ones, not the kind that make you sick.

[00:01:04]>> Oh, okay. That makes me feel a little better.

[00:01:09]But what do the bacteria have to do with the holes?

[00:01:12]>> So the bacteria eat little bits of stuff inside the cheese and while they're eating, they [music] let out tiny bubbles of gas.

[00:01:24]>> Wait, cheese burps? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard.

[00:01:30]>> Kind of. And those little gas [music] bubbles get trapped inside the cheese while it's still soft and as the cheese [music] hardens, the bubbles leave holes behind.

[00:01:42]>> Oh, so it's kind of like when we blow [music] bubbles in milk with a straw and they pop and leave little marks?

[00:01:51]>> Yeah, exactly like that, but way slower and inside the cheese instead of in a That's such a good way to picture it.

[00:02:00]I never would have guessed bacteria made those holes. Me neither. I thought it was just how [music] cheese naturally looked. Like a pattern or something.

[00:02:11]Wait, does that mean the bigger [music] the holes, the more the bacteria burped?

[00:02:18]Maybe. I'm definitely checking the holes on my cheese [music] slice tonight and wondering how much it burped. Same. I'm never going to look at Swiss [music] cheese the same way again.

[00:02:30]>> Now, let's explain the meaning of some of the words [music] you heard. Cheese.

[00:02:35]A soft or firm food made from milk.

[00:02:38][music] Kind of like milk's cousin who decided to become thick, chewy, and delicious instead of staying [music] a drink. Bacteria. Super tiny living things.

[00:02:48]>> [music] >> Way too small to see with just your eyes. Imagine invisible little helpers working away inside your food. Some good and some not [music] so good. Gas. An invisible substance that can float or fill up space. Like the bubbles in [music] soda. You can't hold it in your hand, but you can definitely see what it does.

[00:03:08]Like puffing [music] up a balloon.

[00:03:10]Bubble. A round pocket of air or gas trapped inside a liquid or soft material.

[00:03:16]>> [music] >> Like the little bubbles that float up when you blow into a glass of milk with a straw. Trapped.

[00:03:22]Stuck [music] somewhere and unable to get out. Like a toy stuck under the couch that you just can't quite reach.

[00:03:28]Harden. To become firm or solid. No longer soft or squishy. Like how a wet sand castle firms up a little as it dries in the sun. Burp.

[00:03:37]A little puff of air that comes up from your tummy.

[00:03:40]Usually after eating or drinking too fast.

[00:03:43]It can be quiet or surprisingly loud.