# Tell me about English cheeses **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338 "2008-12-16T02:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/41 "2008-12-18T12:58:54Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > It’s pretty overpowering and would drown out all but the strongest cheese taste (better with ham IMO), but in Cyprus they do make really nice toasted paninis with grilled halloumi and picallili. Nom nom nom. ::drools:: In Australia picallili is [sweet mustard pickles](http://www.gourmetfoodholdings.com.au/Shop.asp?s=&View=Item&Group=&Keyword=rp&Product=60). I never have it on ham but can’t imagine eating corned beef without it. I have always thought it odd that corned beef is so popular in the US but they don’t have the perfect topping, which is used by people who don’t eat that much corned beef. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/42 "2008-12-18T13:34:40Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I’m amazed at this. Either there has been a huge amount of bias, or the USA has been very remiss in spreading the word about the quality of their cheeses. I would be interested in knowing what the proportion of USA to the rest of the world’s cheeses submitted was. Or if there has been a world cheese championship held outside of Wisconsin, and what those results are. > > Don’t get me wrong. American cheeses may be the greatest in the world. It’s just its reputation is more as purveyors of Monterey Jack than high quality cheeses. I would think the results make sense. The contest would show off the top craft cheeses in the US not the run of the ‘mill’ Kraft cheeses and their ilk. I’m sure the bulk of our cheeses are not great though few would think of Monterey Jack as a high quality cheese. Of course “American Cheese” is not even thought of as real cheese but as something good for cheese burgers and easy grill cheeses. As I mentioned earlier, the best cheddar I ever had was from NY State. A cave aged cheddar from the Howe Caverns. There are probably hundreds or thousands of low production cheeses made around the US that compete great on the world stage but don’t make it near the average US consumer. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/43 "2008-12-18T13:49:57Z")
[This is my favourite cheese shop](http://www.countrycheeses.co.uk/index.html), which is just down the road from my mum’s village. They also sell [chilli jam from the South Devon Chilli Farm](http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/shop/index.php?target=categories&category_id=5), which is \*the best \*partner to strong blue or mature cheddar cheese. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/44 "2008-12-18T17:22:11Z")
**Jennyrosity** , curse you for already being married! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/45 "2008-12-18T17:28:58Z")
I just wanted to second **What Exit?'s** opinion of the double gloucester with chives and onions. Although I have known it as Cotswold. Yummy. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/46 "2008-12-18T18:43:19Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > In Australia picallili is [sweet mustard pickles](http://www.gourmetfoodholdings.com.au/Shop.asp?s=&View=Item&Group=&Keyword=rp&Product=60). I never have it on ham but can’t imagine eating corned beef without it. I have always thought it odd that corned beef is so popular in the US but they don’t have the perfect topping, which is used by people who don’t eat that much corned beef. Corned beef is very popular in the US, but the vast bulk of it is sliced and put on sandwiches, where it is more likely to be topped with hot mustard or saurkraut. We eat corned beef for dinner once a year on St. Patrick’s day. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/47 "2008-12-18T19:28:36Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > **Jennyrosity** , curse you for already being married! 😉 You just want easy access to my mum’s local cheese shop! Funny you should mention the marriage - such is my devotion to the delights of said shop, I campaigned strongly to be allowed to have minature local cheeses from there as wedding favours. Sadly, I was overruled in favour of miniature Plymouth gins ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338/48 "2008-12-18T20:01:28Z")
If you’re interested in English cheeses, you should also learn about the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Roll: > **[Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper%27s_Hill_Cheese-Rolling_and_Wake)** > > .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}51°49′48″N 2°09′29″W / 51.82991°N 2.15812°W / 51.82991; -2.15812 > The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester in Englan... Every year in May there’s a competition on Cooper’s Hill near Brockworth in Gloucestershire where a round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down the hill. The competitors chase it down the course. The winner is the first one to catch the cheese (usually at the end of the roll, since the cheese is usually moving faster than they can run). First prize is the round of cheese that’s just been rolled down the hill. Second prize is two rounds of cheese that have been rolled down the hill. There are frequently injuries and I think there have been deaths in the past. I know about this because I lived in Brockworth at one point, just below Cooper’s Hill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-english-cheeses/477338.md?page=2)