Cheddar

Cheddar is one of the most popular and most-produced cheeses in the world, a classic English hard cow's-milk cheese. It took its name from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, where it began to be made back in the 12th century.

A distinctive feature of the technology is a special process of “cheddaring,” in which the curd is cut into blocks that are turned and stacked many times to remove excess whey and give the cheese a dense, slightly layered texture. The aging of cheddar can last from a few months to several years: young cheese is soft and creamy, while aged cheese becomes hard, crumbly, and acquires a rich, sharp, slightly sour taste. Cheddar often has a characteristic orange colour from the natural annatto dye. Versatile and tasty, cheddar suits equally well sandwiches, burgers, hot dishes, and a cheese board.