When I see shredded-cheese blends in the supermarket, they invariably include cheddar. The Mexican blend has cotija and some other stuff, but with cheddar. The Italian blend has mozzarella, Parmesan, and probably Asiago, but also cheddar.
I know cheddar is probably the single most-common cheese variety, at least in the West. And that it is probably a cheap choice just about anywhere in the hemisphere. But is it used in traditional local dishes in Mexico and Italy, when one has the money to use what you consider the ‘right’ cheeses?
Cheddar cheese is not used at all in Italian cooking. You could probably find it in a specialty British foods shop, but that’s it. Otherwise, it is very hard to find in Italy, in my experience.
What brand are you seeing that includes cheddar in the Italian cheese blend? The typical mix is some combination of mozzarella, provolone, romano, asiago, parmesan, maybe fontina. I’ve never seen cheddar included, and wouldn’t buy any mix that had it. That’s just strange.
Here in the Yucatan peninsula, cheddar cheese is not used in dishes.
One thing I miss is cheese here. Fortunately, there is a Costco a few hours from my pueblito, and I can buy a variety of cheeses. I don’t go often, but when I do, I buy a six months supply.
I didn’t mean to imply that all blends are like that. There are certainly some that only have traditional cheeses included. But the blends that seem to be intended for tacos or pizza do usually have cheddar. In other words, I should not have used the word ‘invariably.’
Cheddar is commonly found in Americanized Mexican dishes, and promoted at the groceries. The grocery blends are just lightly seasoned versions of inexpensive cheese like cheddar. I’ve occasionally seen Italian dishes such as polenta made by Italian-Americans with cheddar, but I don’t know if it is ever used in Italy. There’s nothing wrong with using any cheese you like or find readily available in any dish, but if you’re looking for authentic Mexican or Italian cheddar isn’t the way to go.
Cheese blends are not the ultimate foodie choice. There’s an additive to keep them from clumping. Still, they’re really convenient & most of us aren’t full-time foodies.
I’ve never seen an Italian blend including cheddar. Most “Mexican” blends will be used for Tex-Mex style dishes in the USA–so cheddar is suitable. (Velveeta is more traditional for some Tex-Mex dishes!)
This article recommends shredding freezer-chilled cheese in a food processor, then storing it in the freezer. It is cheaper than buying it bagged & you’d avoid grabbing that chunk from the refrigerator & discovering mold. Worth trying–& Houston grocery stores offer plenty of Mexican style cheeses…
Same here. Mexican blends, yeah, I’ve seen cheddar. Italian blends, nope. Kraft’s, for instance, is provolone, mozzarella, asiago, romano, and parmesan. I’d like to echo the question to the OP: What brand is it that has cheddar in the Italian blend?
I think that depends on your definition of “the West”. The west of the US? Sure. the US and Brittain? Sure. Anywhere outside of English speaking countries? Possibly, but I’d be surprised if it was anything but a small minority of such countries.
Where we in the Anglosphere might use cheddar, Italians would probably use pecorino or parmesan as their ‘generic/universal’ cheese. Italians struggle with the idea of using a cheese from a different Italian region, let alone another country.
And what’s this ‘cheese blend’ thing you are all talking about? Sounds hideous. What’s wrong with buying a block and grating it fresh?
I think it depends on where you are - in the Veneto, asiago would be the generic cheese, in Sardinia it might be pecorino. Like you said, they’re much more regional than us (IM limited E)
Just one data point from Germany: that’s not the case here. Our “generic” cheese is Gouda or maybe Edam as an alternative. Cheddar is rarely used (I never had it and I’m not sure if a typical supermarket would carry it).
Just a quick check, but we all know that true cheddar is white, not orange, right? Thus, differentiating it inside a pouch of other “variety cheeses” laced with paraffin might be difficult for the casual diner.
I’d expect a supermarket with a decent-sized deli cheese counter to have about one variety of Cheddar. There is also a brand of packaged cheddar that has become more common in recent years. Still, I would be very surprised to see a store where Cheddar accounts for a full percent of cheese sales.
