Ireland Cheddars
Ireland Cheddar has already bacome a real Great Britain symbol. Cheddar is a relatively hard cheese. The color of the cheese inner part varies from yellow to off-white. Cheddar was originally made in an English village of the same name, located in Somerset. It is the most popular cheese type in the United Kingdom. Income from the sale of this cheese is 51% of the total profit.
Cheddar is falsified all over the world – in the UK itself and in other countries, including Ireland, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and Iceland. In different countries, you can find various Cheddar cheese types, from low-fat cheese to seasoned, spicy and high fat. According to European trade standards, only cheese made in four counties in the southwest of England (namely, Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall) can have the protected name “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar”.
Cheddar cheese has been produced since at least 1170. There is documentary evidence that over 4.700 kg (10,420 pounds) of this cheese were sold that year. The cost of one Cheddar ton only £3. According to one version, the Romans brought the recipe to England from the French region of Cantal.
A significant role in the improvement and standardization of Cheddar cheese was played by Joseph Harding in the 19th century. He was a milkman from Somerset County. This man was the first to standardize and improve the production technology of Cheddar cheese, stressing out the importance of hygiene and keeping the right temperature. Joseph Harding was called the “father of Cheddar for this.” Another merit of Harding is that he introduced new equipment for the manufacture of cheese, including a “rotating grinder of curd mass”. Thus, he greatly saved labor resources. The Joseph Harding Method was Cadder’s first modern production system based on scientific principles. Joseph Harding’s son, Henry Harding, was responsible for the distribution of Cheddar cheese production in Australia.
During World War II in the UK, all milk went to the production of Government Cheddar only. This was part of the war effort and rationing. Such a policy almost contributed to the production collapse of other cheeses in the country. Before World War I, there were over 3.500 cheese producers in Great Britain, and after the end of World War II there were no over 100.
In July 2009, the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers released a piece of Cheddar cheese. Although the GPS signal along with the spacecraft (ball) to which Cheddar was attached was lost, the cheese later returned in good condition.
Cheddaring is an additional step in the production of Cheddar cheeses when, after heating, the curd is salted and then cut into cubes to make glass whey. Saturated, extra-seasoned Cheddar (also sometimes called vintage) is excrated up to 15 months. Cheese is stored at a constant temperature. It often requires special equipment. As for the production of other types of hard cheeses in different countries of the world, the ideal environment for exctracting cheese is formed in natural caves. Also today, sometimes Cheddar is kept in the caves of Wookiee Hole and Cheddar Gorge.
Serum is separated from the curd using rennet. This enzyme is produced in the stomach of calves. In the production of vegetarian cheeses, bacteria, yeast or mold are used.
Cheddar-like cheeses are made in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, the United States of America, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands. These types can be divided into two categories: farm and industrial cheese. After a long time, farmer Cheddar acquires a diverse rich taste and aroma. Industrial Cheddar packaging usually indicates a hue of taste, for example, “mild”, “medium”, “strong”, “tasty”, “sharp”, “extra sharp”, “mature”, “old” or “vintage”. These marks may indicate aging or foods that are recommended to be consumed with cheese so that the taste is revealed to the greatest extent.
The name “Cheddar Cheese” has become widely used in the world, as it does not have a protected geographical indication (PDO). However, the European Union sees the West Country Farmhouse Cheddar as a PDO. To meet this standard, cheese must be produced in a traditional manner using local ingredients in one of four counties – Somerset, Devon, Dorset or Cornwall.
Cheddar, made in the classic way, usually has a rich and spicy taste, in which there are often land notes. Handicraft cheese is usually a little crumbly. Aged Cheddar contains large crystals of calcium lactate. Crystals begin to form when the cheese matures for more than 6 months. A real Cheddar doesn’t have a “soapy” flavor or texture.