Cheddar Cheese

Cheddar...one word can mean so many things. It’s a type of cheese, yes. But Cheddar is also a town in Somerset, England, the birthplace of the cheese that was named for it. And cheddaring is a process that the cheese undergoes too. Once the curds have been formed into loaf shapes, curd loaves are stacked atop one another to express excess whey. They are then turned and restacked ten minutes later, on and on until the curds have the proper whey content.

This process leads to cheddar’s unique properties. It sets the cheese’s whey content, yes, but it also sets the acidity, density, and flavor characteristics. But that doesn’t mean each cheddar comes out the same. Neal’s Yard is unique from Cabot Clothbound, white cheddar from Irish cheddar, smoked cheddar from goat cheddar. Since there’s no regulation for what can be called a cheddar, the world has a wonderful variety. And we’ve got a first-rate assortment right here.