# How much cheddar cheese is used in Mexico & Italy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555 "2014-05-15T22:23:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/21 "2014-05-16T12:31:50Z")
**Moderator Action** Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/22 "2014-05-16T14:35:04Z")
> [@naita](#): > > 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. I can’t find any current data, but in 2003, [mozzarella](http://web.archive.org/web/20110222203141/http://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/february05/findings/cheeseconsumption.htm) became the most popular cheese in the US, edging out cheddar. I’ve seen claims that cheddar is the most popular cheese in the world, but I’d be mildly surprised if that were the case. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/23 "2014-05-16T14:34:06Z")
> [@Watthour](#): > > 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. Freedom and Unity ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/24 "2014-05-16T15:10:49Z")
But not sharply surprised? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/25 "2014-05-16T18:05:32Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > No, cheddar isn’t white. Are you confusing is with cheshire? It ultimately depends on the kind of cheddar. Regular garden-variety “medium cheddar” in the US is an annatto colored relatively mild orange cheese. Something like a NY or VT aged cheddar is more of an off-white color than anything else. For a UK cheese that I’d confuse with US cheddar, I’d say Double Gloucester is probably the closest. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/26 "2014-05-16T18:55:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve seen claims that cheddar is the most popular cheese in the world, but I’d be mildly surprised if that were the case. Well, we don’t get much call for it around here, sir… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/27 "2014-05-16T18:56:11Z")
The only cheese I see in Mexican dishes with any regularity is [Cotija](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotija_cheese). Cheddar/jack is a purely American addition, not that it’s a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/28 "2014-05-16T19:04:38Z")
You don’t see queso fresco or añejo? I suppose it’s all regional, but those are 3, along with a couple of melting cheeses, that we get here in Georgia. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/29 "2014-05-16T19:18:24Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > 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) Yes, though it also depends what you are using it for. Asiago is quite common here but no one in the Veneto (I’m in Padua) would throw Asiago on their pasta. Pizza gets mozzarello, even if it’s not the right region for that at all. In any case, I’ve never ever seen cheddar here. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/30 "2014-05-16T19:29:54Z")
> [@kellner](#): > > 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. > > That’s a shame because I quite like it. That’s probably true; I don’t know because I’ve never asked for it. But being a niche product here, I don’t expect Cheddar to be cheap, let alone being the cheapest cheese. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/31 "2014-05-16T19:55:49Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The only cheese I see in Mexican dishes with any regularity is [Cotija](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotija_cheese). Cheddar/jack is a purely American addition, not that it’s a bad thing. A lot of Queso Oaxaca, Queso Asadero and Queso Chihuahua get used as well in dishes that need melting cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/32 "2014-05-16T20:41:52Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > No, cheddar isn’t white. Are you confusing is with cheshire? > [@MrDibble](#): > > I’d say pale, buttery yellow, actually. And Cheddar’s been coloured with annato since the mid 1800s, that ship has sailed. > [@Watthour](#): > > 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. Cheddar made locally is white, or nearly so. [Renard’s cheese](http://www.renardscheese.com/) says any other color is due to a dye which most makers add because most customers expect it. Renard’s sells it both ways. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/33 "2014-05-16T20:46:26Z")
> [@bump](#): > > A lot of Queso Oaxaca, Queso Asadero and Queso Chihuahua get used as well in dishes that need melting cheese. Yep. Those seem to be the usual ones around here, along with the other ones mentioned earlier. I tend to buy a lot of chihuahua cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/34 "2014-05-16T21:21:31Z")
Proper cheddar, from Somerset, about fifteen miles from Cheddar itself, is [this](http://www.teddingtoncheese.co.uk/acatalog/de379.htm) colour. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/35 "2014-05-17T06:29:13Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > Yes, though it also depends what you are using it for. Asiago is quite common here but no one in the Veneto (I’m in Padua) would throw Asiago on their pasta. Pizza gets mozzarello, even if it’s not the right region for that at all. In any case, I’ve never ever seen cheddar here. True. I think, when I think of “generic” cheese, I’d say “the one you put on a cheese sandwich” covers it. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/36 "2014-05-17T07:07:29Z")
As a rule of thumb, anything used in British cooking is rarely used in Italian or French cooking. It is just MHO, but I believe the reason for that is that both Italian and French cooking is delicious whereas whenever my aunt has some British food delivered, I find that box that the food was packed in to be much better tasting than the food itself. IOW, the British food tastes like crappola! Yes! real awful stuff! You have heard of Haggis? That is a Scottish delicacy (if there is such a thing). Personally, I just cannot imagine. Haggis is reportedly the stomach of a sheep stuffed with a bunch of horrible crap. I cannot imagine eating that. It sounds to me like it would be much better used as some kind of Gargoyle or Curley Que. Both of which are pretty much guaranteed to taste like crappola! I have read several threads in this forum that concern themselves with British cooking and they almost always agree that British cuisine is just about the worst on this planet. Although there may be other planets on which … oh well … you never can tell. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/37 "2014-05-17T08:47:57Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I have read several threads in this forum that concern themselves with British cooking and they almost always agree that British cuisine is just about the worst on this planet. We [just did this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720776) and let’s say, to be charitable, your opinion is uninformed. Or otherwise known as “bullshit”. You may have seen those threads, even posted, but you sure as shit didn’t _read_ them. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/38 "2014-05-17T12:03:46Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > We [just did this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720776) and let’s say, to be charitable, your opinion is uninformed. Or otherwise known as “bullshit”. You may have seen those threads, even posted, but you sure as shit didn’t _read_ them. I apologize for not reading those threads in more detail. I certainly did not intend any offense. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/39 "2014-05-17T13:09:55Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > As a rule of thumb, anything used in British cooking is rarely used in Italian or French cooking. > > It is just MHO, but I believe the reason for that is that both Italian and French cooking is delicious whereas whenever my aunt has some British food delivered, I find that box that the food was packed in to be much better tasting than the food itself. IOW, the British food tastes like crappola! Yes! real awful stuff! > > You have heard of Haggis? That is a Scottish delicacy (if there is such a thing). Personally, I just cannot imagine. Haggis is reportedly the stomach of a sheep stuffed with a bunch of horrible crap. I cannot imagine eating that. It sounds to me like it would be much better used as some kind of Gargoyle or Curley Que. Both of which are pretty much guaranteed to taste like crappola! > > I have read several threads in this forum that concern themselves with British cooking and they almost always agree that British cuisine is just about the worst on this planet. Although there may be other planets on which … oh well … you never can tell. There’s always one unafraid to parade their utter ignorance, isn’t there? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555/40 "2014-05-17T13:22:38Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > There’s always one unafraid to parade their utter ignorance, isn’t there? There are people unafraid to say that the garbage that passes for food in England is good to eat, so why not? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cheddar-cheese-is-used-in-mexico-italy/688555.md?page=3)