Growing up in Indian subcontinent, I only remember a cheesy product made of ox milk. It tasted very different than cheese but I would say it is the closest thing to cheese in that part of the world. Also, since the weather is warm around the year, they might not have a need to store milk in the way Western countries needed to store milk, meats, grains, etc.

I was introduced to cheese when I came to US after finishing high school in Bangladesh and since than I loved cheese! The sheer variety of cheese and the difference in taste is amazing. I feel that like wine, cheese is also an acquired taste. The common varieties — Mozzarella, Swiss, Chadder, etc. are everywhere now. You can even find them in Indian subcontinent thanks to the rapid expansion of America fast food and pizza chains. So I guess most of the modern world now has a tastebud for the cheese — which is always a good thing! Enjoying and sharing food is a healthy activity that brings humanity closer together.