As October arrives, I find myself musing like Hamlet, though my thoughts are not on life and death but on the big culinary question of the season: “To cheese or not to cheese.” My late mother-in-law, Misae Higashi, an excellent home cook who grew up in Japan, once told me in complete seriousness, “Cheese is not food.” It’s true that cheese has only recently started to appear on restaurant menus in Japan, in very limited portions. Dairy products in general are used sparingly in Asian cuisine, where lactose intolerance is wide-spread and soy-based products such as tofu and miso are the preferred protein sources along with fish. India is the notable exception, as yogurt, ghee and paneer, a soft Indian cheese, are all dairy products used extensively in Indian cuisine. Cheese is also produced and eaten throughout the African continent.