I was just at the supermarket, and the store-brand equivalent of Cracker-Barrel cheese bars came in three versions, marked:
Sharp Vermont Cheddar
Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar
Sharp New York Cheddar
Um?? I understand different ‘genres’ of cheese (Swiss vs. Havarti, for instance) and levels of ‘tartness’ (mild, sharp, extra sharp) but what the heck is the difference between the various states when it comes to cheddar?
Surely its not something as boring as where the cows lived?
I’m pretty sure that the primary difference is more “state pride” (or where the cows lived) than any real difference in the cheeses. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t better cheddars.
That said, Vermont Cheddar is usually white–in my experience.
(You are aware that the orange-y color of Cheddar is artificial, unneeded for flavor, but does influence the appearance of things, if you are used to orange-y cheddar?).
Yep, you’ve nailed it. Vermont cheese is made by Vermonters in Vermont from milk made by Vermont cows.
As with most other food items, you’re best off eating the local product – or as close to local as you can get. I you live in Albuquerque, for example, eat Oregon Cheddar.
Get your cheese locally from your favorite local cheese factory.
No one state has a monopoly on superior cheese. Some cheese factories in Wisconsin makes some pretty ordinary products. Some make cheeses to die for. Some different batches from the same factory run from “meh” to “OMG!!”.
Me, I like Widmer’s, Beechwood, and Gibbsville products from Wisconsin. Google those names and you’ll find dandy websites devoted to mailing the stuff to you.
Piffle. The orange-y color is provided by annatto, a perfectly ordinary herbal creation of Mother Nature. Also known as “the poor man’s saffron.” Nothing artificial about it. It’s often used in Latin American cuisines to color rice or meat, as in the Cuban dish ropa vieja.
Cheese is one of the few things I disagree with this concept on. I have not found an American cheddar with either the flavor of a good English/Irish cheddar, and, more noticeably, with the proper texture.
It’s the imported stuff for me, though admittedly my new place to live is close to a specialist cheese store so I will see if they have any more local cheddars that cut/taste properly.
There are subtle differences in the flavor and texture of cheeses from different locations. Real Vermont cheddar, produced in Vermont, is different from real
NY or real Wisconsin cheese.
The differences come from variations in the grasses and climate of the areas, which make the original rennet cultures just a little distinct from one another.
Big companies like Kraft purchase distinctive “starters” in order to produce Vermont and New York cheddars that taste authentic.
They’ve been having a special on that at my local market, and it is sooooo good. They have it out as samples, which is dangerous because I shop at lunchtime. Yum!
Some Canadian cheddars I have found tolerable, though less flavored than I am looking for. I can’t get used to the texture of US cheddar though - it always seems almost rubbery.
Those of you with Mexican markets in town might be familiar with annatto being sold under its Spanish name, achiote. It’s very popular in the Yucatan where it’s used to make a recado that gets smeared over meat or seafood before it is cooked. It has a very earthy taste with a beautiful deep red hue to it. The most popular Yucatecan dish that uses it is cochinita pibil. You will also find annatto used in breakfast cereals and other foods as a coloring agent, although in Latin American cuisines it is used very much for its flavor.