Say Cheese Please

Last month we mentioned 6 countries which had given to the world at least one unique and memorable cheese.

We’ll start with England, and Cheddar, which is named after a place in the south of England called Cheddar Gorge.

Cheddar is probably the most imitated of all cheeses with everything from traditional cloth wrapped Farmhouse Cheddars all the way down to processed orange cheese slices.

Imitation is of course the sincerest form of flattery and unfortunately along the way such imitations in the name of Cheddar have damaged this iconic cheese’s reputation. Mass produced plastic processed “cheddars” have few redeeming features other than convenience and bear no resemblance to real Cheddars.

Perhaps the feature of Cheddar that has made it so popular is its melting ability. There are few cheeses which are as satisfying in a grilled or toasted cheese sandwich as Cheddar! It is also a natural choice for sauces as well as being a superb table cheese.

Most countries with a British connection make Cheddars, including Canada, which enjoys an excellent rweputation for good Cheddar, even in the UK.

In fact the biggest Cheddar ever was made in Canada, weighing in at over 26 tons and over six feet high and over 30 feet long! Try getting that onto your plate for an evening snack!

Because it evolved in England where there was no real wine industry, Cheddar matches better with traditional British beverages such as beer and cider rather than with wine. The same applies to food matching. Try Cheddar with traditional British foods like apples, pears, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and chutneys. Delicious!

Next time, we’re off to France, home of some of the “gooeyest” cheeses ever!

Until then,

Say Cheese!