The local supermarkets and convenience stores here stock several different kinds of cheddar cheese. However, they will almost invariably have cheeses labelled “Irish Cheddar Cheese”, “Scottish Cheddar Cheese”, and plain old “Cheddar Cheese” which is made in England. (Naturally, each type also has subvarieties, such as “sharp” or “mild”.)
I haven’t yet been able to figure out what the difference is between Irish, Scottish, and English cheddar cheese. They taste pretty much the same to me, though admittedly I haven’t done any extensive testing. (I don’t eat cheese often enough to justify buying three packs at once.) Can someone please enlighten me?
The variation between different brands will be as significant as that between the different countries. It’s just easy marketing, to make them sound more interesting. Cows don’t care which side of Offa’s Dyke their grass is.
Easy marketing? Why, if that were the case, a new cheddar cheese would emphasise something silly like ‘bilingual packaging’!
‘One of the leading UK milk co-operatives, Dairy Farmers of Great Britain, has announced it is to launch a new line of Cadog branded Welsh cheddar cheese, supported by a line of bilingual packaging.’
Oh. :rolleyes:
Wonder why they do it?
‘Analysts estimate that by 2007 the UK cheese market will be worth £1.8bn’.
Irish milk does seem to be richer in flavour. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Irish Cadbury’s chocolate has a very different taste from English. The cows are fed more grass than their UK equivalents, IIRC. That said, Irish cheddar is milder and distinctly less sharp than its English conterpart. Don’t know anything about Scottish cheese at all.
The difference in the chocolate doesn’t necessarily come from different milk, but from a different recipe (you ever tasted American Cadbury’s? Yeuuuugh)
I have no written cite here, but my missus did a tour of the Cadbury’s factory in Coolock, Dublin, and that’s what she says they told her. This is also why all Flake bars in Europe are made in Dublin, because the milk gives the chocolate the correct texture. I agree about American Cadbury’s, shudder at Hershey’s, but also note Australian Cadbury’s is different again (but not bad), as it’s made to melt at higher temperatures.
It actually surprises me that Cheddar (the region in England) has not tried to gain a protected appellation status for the name Cheddar cheese.
I mean, if Champagne can only come from the Champagne region, and all other champagne style wines have to be labeled “Sparkling White Wine - method traditionale” (or some such nonsense)
and Roquefort cheese can only come from Roquefort, and Parma ham only from Parma, - even (for goodness sake) Melton Mowbray pork pies
why not Cheddar cheese. Stop all this Irish Cheddar or Scottish Cheddar malarkey.
Marginally tasty Irish firm yellow cheese matured in a cold faux limestone cave indeed.
