This is not your regular Cheddar made across the world, but a unique one because of its maturity, distinctive full flavor, the source of milk and special methods of handmade production within the four Counties of Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
It needs to mature for at least 9 months before it is sold, either in cylindrical shape or in blocks of variable sizes. Its flavor can be described as full, sharp and nutty, and it is firm and creamy yellow on the inside, with a crumbly texture. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is best paired with grapes, pears, apples, figs, celery or ripe tomatoes.
Y Fenni is a Welsh cheese made from a combination of mature Cheddar, wholegrain mustard, and Welsh ale. It melts easily, so it is often placed on steaks for the final grilling. The cheese is coated in either red or yellow wax, and its flavor is spicy without being overbearing.
The name of the cheese is derived from the Welsh name for Abergavenny, a market town specializing in its production. This unique cheese is often a part of the popular ploughman's lunch.
Little Black Bomber is a Welsh extra mature cheddar that's coated in black wax, hence the name. It's produced in the town of Rhyl by Snowdonia Cheese Company. This hard cheese is made from cow's milk and has a smooth and creamy texture.
The aromas are rich, while the flavors are strong and caramel-like. It's recommended to serve it with crackers, pickles, or a crusty baguette. Interestingly, Little Black Bomber has won awards at the World Cheese Awards, the Great British Cheese Awards, and a Super Gold at Mondial Fromage in France.
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Shropshire Blue is a British blue cheese produced in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and is best described as a cross between Cheshire and Stilton. Shropshire Blue ages from 10 to 12 weeks and develops a natural rind that hides a creamy and smooth texture of the carrot-colored body with blue veining throughout.
The orange color comes from annatto. The aromas are strong and rich, while the flavors are intense, sharp, tangy, creamy, and full. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of Pinot Noir or Riesling.
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Seriously Strong Cheddar is a Scottish cheese produced in Stranraer. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk. It ages from 18 to 24 months, and there are six different versions of the cheese – apart from the Seriously Strong one, there are also grated, spreadable, chili-flavored, smoked, and vintage Strong Cheddars.
The basic version is crumbly, firm, flaky, and dense. The aromas are rich and strong, while the flavor is full, tangy, and savory. It's recommended to serve it with crackers, use it in sandwiches, or add it into cooked dishes.
This sharp cow's milk cheese is one of the most popular cheeses in the world today, and it was first produced in the village of Cheddar in Somerset county, England in the 12th century. Cheddar is a hard cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk, and it ranges from white to pale yellow in color.
When young, its texture is smooth, and when it is left to mature, the texture becomes more crumbly and it gets a sharper flavor. Joseph Harding—a cheesemaker often referred to as the "father of Cheddar"—said that the authentic Somerset Cheddar should have a close texture, a full, fine flavor reminiscent of hazelnuts, and a melt-in-the-mouth quality.
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VARIATIONS OF Cheddar
Blue Wensleydale is an English cheese hailing from the town of Hawes. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it was invented in the late 19th century by Thomas Nuttall. Underneath its cloth-wrapped rind, the texture is dense and hard, with blue veining dispersed throughout the paste.
The aromas are rich, while the flavors are mellow, creamy, acidic, and salty, with savory and slightly sharp notes. The cheese is usually left to mature for 6 months before consumption. It's recommended to pair it with light red wines and use it in pear and walnut salad or serve it with prosciutto.
Applewood is an English cheese originating from Ilchester in Somerset, where it was first produced in 1965. Made from cow's milk, this cheddar cheese has a semi-hard, dense texture and a natural rind. It is also known as Applewood Smoked Cheddar – however, it is not smoked, but artificially flavored with smoke and dusted with paprika, giving it a golden-amber visual appearance on the exterior.
Its flavor is spicy and smoky. It is recommended to grate Applewood over pasta and baked potatoes, but it can also be served with raisins and apples for those with a sweet tooth.
Double Gloucester is an English cheese produced in Gloucestershire, hence the name. The cheese is made with full fat cow's milk using the cream from one night's milking and also the following day's milking – hence the word double in its name, but Double Gloucester is twice the height of Single Gloucester, so that might also be a reason for the word double in the name of this cheese.
Its texture is smooth and buttery when young, but as it ages (for at least four months) the texture and the rind become very hard, which is the reason why Double Gloucester is used in the popular Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling event. The flavors of this cheese are nutty, creamy, citrusy, rich, and buttery.
This cheese has moderately intense acidic notes, while still remaining savory and nutty, with a clean aroma typical of Cheddar. Its texture is firm, smooth and closed, and the cheese is left to mature for 6 to 18 months, its flavor changing according to the maturation stage.
Medium cheddar has a slight savory flavor, mature cheddar has a slightly sharp, savory flavor, while extra mature cheddar has a brittle texture and a sharp, savory flavor and lactate crystals. Orkney cheddar is unique because of its production method called 'dry-stir', e.g. a method of constant stirring to stop the curd from bonding, giving it its unique texture.
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