# What process makes cheddar cheese "sharp" vs "mild"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962 "2004-08-15T17:37:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/21 "2004-08-17T17:03:17Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Feh. That’s mild to me. I’ve a block of cheddar in my fridge 9 years old! For me, aged doesn’t even start until 2 years, and doesn’t get _good_ until 3 or 4! A word of advice: Never leave Wisconsin. You wouldn’t believe what they consider “sharp” out here in California. (I’ve yet to find a store that even HAS a 4 year old cheddar selection.) -lv ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/22 "2004-08-17T17:33:58Z")
We have a new grocery open out here called Woodman’s that hails from Wisconsin. While browsing the 1/4 long mile cheese section, I came across a cellophane wrapped chunk of what was labeled “Super super super sharp cheddar”. However, I have a strict 2 adjective limit on my dairy foods so I had to pass it up. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/23 "2004-08-17T19:56:43Z")
> [@LordVor](#): > > You wouldn’t believe what they consider “sharp” out here in California. (I’ve yet to find a store that even HAS a 4 year old cheddar selection.) Two words: Trader. Joe’s. You _will_ find your cheddar fix there. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/24 "2004-08-17T21:43:52Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > You _will_ find your cheddar fix there. Bah. Been there, done that. No comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/25 "2004-08-17T21:55:17Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > Two words: > > Trader. > > Joe’s. > > You _will_ find your cheddar fix there. Two words: Cheddar. Somerset. You _will_ find your cheddar fix there. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/26 "2004-08-17T22:39:35Z")
> [@LordVor](#): > > Bah. Been there, done that. No comparison. Well, then you _have_ been to a California store that has a 4 year old cheddar selection, despite your claim to be unable to find one. You’re just being a _cheddar prude_[sup]TM[/sup]. (Not that there’s anything _wrong_ with that… me, I’m a _provolone prude_[sup]TM[/sup]) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/27 "2004-08-17T23:44:47Z")
> [@LordVor](#): > > A word of advice: Never leave Wisconsin. You wouldn’t believe what they consider “sharp” out here in California. (I’ve yet to find a store that even HAS a 4 year old cheddar selection.) If you are on the San Francisco peninsula, try either the \*Milk Pail \* in Mountain View or \*Cheese Please \* in San Mateo. There’s good cheese in California, its just not at any of the megamarkets. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/28 "2004-08-18T01:14:54Z")
There was a thread a while back about products that had to change their names due to political correction (“Ayds” diet candy, for example). Cracker Barrel is the name of an American cheddar cheese that I have eaten all my life. It comes in these little square rectangular bars that slice exactly to fit your basic square soda cracker (saltine). They come in four aged varieties, color-coded for your convenience. Yellow packages are _mild_, orange packages are _sharp_ and the red packages are _extra-sharp_. I know American sharp cheddar isn’t all that sharp. I’ve always liked my cheese extra-extra sharp. So I would always have my Mom buy me the Cracker Barrel _Black_ package of cheese. Back then they called it _COON cheese._ :eek: It had a bite, alright. Nowadays, they call it New York Reserved. What the hell does New York have to do with good cheese? Man, the top of my head is sweating from just thinking about some good, sharp cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962/29 "2004-08-18T01:19:42Z")
> [@Backwater Under\_Duck](#): > > What the hell does New York have to do with good cheese? Upstate New York makes some decent cheese. I won’t turn my nose up at it. But it ain’t 9 year old Wisconsin cheddar! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-process-makes-cheddar-cheese-sharp-vs-mild/259962.md?page=1)