This is a list of notable cheesemakers. Cheesemakers are people or companies that make cheese, who have developed the knowledge and skills required to convert milk into cheese. Cheesemaking involves controlling precisely the types and amounts of ingredients used and the parameters of the cheesemaking process, to make specific types and qualities of cheese. The milk may be from a cow, goat, sheep or buffalo, although worldwide cow's milk is most commonly used. Cheesemakers also need to be skilled in grading cheese to assess quality, assessing defects and suitability for release, and cheese ripening. The craft of making cheese dates back at least 5,000 years. Archaeological evidence exists of Egyptian cheese being made in the ancient Egyptian civilizations.