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Cheddar

Cheddar, an immensely popular snack cheese, is often served with crackers, apples, or pears, and is an important ingredient in countless recipes.

Cheddar, first made in about the 16th century, is one of the oldest of English cheeses; it is thought the Romans first introduced the British people to the production of hard cheeses. A smooth, hard cheese with a sharp, pleasing flavor, cheddar is made from whole pasteurized cows’ milk. It is typically aged from 9 months to two years, and its flavor becomes sharper the longer it ages. Cheddars and related cheeses, such as Colby, are produced through a process called “cheddaring,” in which thick slabs of curd are stacked on top of each other, pressed together, and then stacked again to produce a very finely textured, dry, semi-firm cheese.

Cheddar is now produced all over the world using the English recipe, but purists insist that a cheese is not a true cheddar unless it was made in Somerset, Devon, or Dorset.

Varieties

There are more than 250 varieties of cheddar cheese. Colors vary from white (undyed) to deep orange. Yellow and orange cheeses are created through the addition of carrot juice or marigold; some use annatto, a flavorless natural coloring.

Varieties include Chewton, Green’s, Keen’s, and Montgomery’s Cheddars of Somerset; Dorset Drum Cheddar of Dorset; and Denhay and Quickes Cheddars of Devon.

British cheeses related to cheddar include the tart Welsh Caerphilly, creamy Scottish Dunlop, crumbly Cheshire, sharp Glouster and Double Glouster, mild Leicester, and Derby, which has a sage-flavored version.

Quality cheddar-type cheeses are also being produced in New Zealand and other countries, including the United States.

Buying and storing tips

As a hard cheese, cheddar can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic, for two to four weeks.

Availability

An astonishing range of American cheddars as well as British and other imported cheddars is available in health food stores, specialty stores, and markets.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Cheddar is an immensely popular snack cheese, enjoyed with bread or crackers, apples or pears, in sandwiches and on hamburgers, and accompanying apple pie. Grated, it appears in a wide range of baked goods (such as cheese biscuits and muffins), as an accompaniment to salads, and as a topping on French onion soup; in casseroles (from informal dishes such as macaroni and cheese to elegant soufflés); and in regional potato, pasta, and rice dishes, such as rice with peppers and stuffed peppers. Cheddar also combines well with Parmesan.

Nutritional Highlights

Cheddar cheese, 1 slice (1 oz.) (28g)
Calories: 114
Protein: 7.0g
Carbohydrate: 0.36g
Total Fat: 9.4g
Fiber: 0.0g
*Good source of: Calcium (204mg), and Riboflavin (0.18mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.