Do you want to think about the differences between Cheddar cheese types?
There are many types of cheddar cheese, and the differences are because of aging. Cheddar cheese is one of the favorite foods enjoyed worldwide, with many options that anyone can think of. Our well-known cheese makers in Wisconsin are veritable cheese genies that produce more varieties and flavors for cheese lovers.
So let’s down the types of cheddar cheese and their differences.
What is Cheddar Cheese?
Cheddar chees is one of the traditional types of English cheese that originated from the village of Cheddar in South West England before the 12 century. The cheese is naturally made with cow milk, either high fat or whole, with 3.3.
When the milk gets ripened and set into curds, then cooked and drained, it gets into cheddar.
Different Types of Cheddar Cheese
So, here are the different types of cheddar cheese that make them different.
1) Sharp and Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Seriously sharp cheddar cheese offers a dense and slightly crumbly texture with an intense flavor and is aged 12 to 14 months.
Sharp cheddar and wet cheese are aged 7 to 9 months and have a smooth, creamy texture with a buttery and rich tang with the nuance of sweetness.
2) Mild Cheddar Cheese
Mild cheddar chees is also has a buttery and smooth flavor and aged between 2 to 3 months; it comes with a taste that adults and kids will like the most.
3) Premium Cheddar Cheese
Examples of premium Cheddar cheese are Cabot’s Vintage Reserve and Cabot Clothbound cheese, aged between 2 to 5 years.
4) Aged Cheddar
The type of cheese has aged anywhere from a few to many months to over a decade. While aging, cheddar cheese goes through many natural processes that can produce more texture and flavor.
The breakdown of protein and fat in specific types of cheese offers aged cheese the classic and trendy taste.
In addition, aged cheddar cheese further concentrates all your liked flavors into dense quantities, slows down moisture, and leads to flaky cheese.
5) Blue Cheddar Cheese
So, why choose between cheddar and blue cheese when you have both options?
Wisconsin Original is a type of cheese known for its unique blue veining.
Have you ever thought about how it works?
During the making of cheese, cheddar cheese is inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti as it is a friendly microfiber and responsible for blue cheese and liked flavor. Compared to most blue cheese, blue cheese is more robust and mellow.
6) Colby Cheese
Colby is different from cheddar cheese as it is a type of it initially made in the Wisconsin town of Colby. The cheese-making process is a bit similar to cheddar and considered to be as young cheddar. In texture, Colby is soft and more elastic than cheddar, but it has maintained a similar mild flavor.
What Are Different Types Of Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar cheese comes in a variety of types, each offering distinct flavors and characteristics. Some common variations include Mild Cheddar, known for its creamy texture and subtle taste; Sharp Cheddar, which has a tangier and more pronounced flavor; Extra Sharp Cheddar, aged even longer for an even stronger and crumbly texture; White Cheddar, made from white milk, imparting a milder and slightly sweeter taste; and Smoked Cheddar, which is infused with smoky flavors.
Additionally, you can find Cheddar cheeses with various additives like herbs, spices, or even fruits, offering a wide range of taste experiences to suit different preferences and recipes.
How Can You Pair Different Types of Cheddar Cheese?
Pairing different types of cheddar cheese with other dishes or drinks comes down to flavor and age. Mild cheddar cheese can be paired with all kinds of beer and wine, but with blue cheddar, you will need beverages that can stand up with more prominent flavors of potent hybrids.
While for mild cheddar cheese, try beer and pilsner. It would be a good pairing with safe bets.
What Do All Types of Cheddar Cheese Taste Like?
During the aging process, the cheddar cheese develops a tangier finish with some earthy notes, and some types come with hard salt-like crystals and add a little crunch to each bite.
Young cheddar has a creamy, mild, and smooth taste; its texture is similar to butter, moist, and a little melty. At the same time, aged cheddar is nuttier, share, and crumbly as it is a true pleaser.
What Does Cheddar Smell Like
When it comes to the smell of cheddar cheese, aged cheddar cheese has some earthy flavor and funky aroma. On the opposite end of the spectrum, young cheddar smells like milk, slightly sweet and even mild.
What Does Cheddar Look Like?
If you find any cheese in the market, you can get from milky white to bright orange, but naturally, cheddar is light, yellow, and creamy in texture and appearance.
The varieties of cheese with orange color are made with a natural dye known as annatto.
Cheesemakers in ancient times sought to remove the apparent markers of seasonal variation with the use of annatto to color the milk used for cheese making.
FAQs
There are several varieties of cheddar cheese: mild, medium, sharp, and extra sharp. More options are orange cheese; New york style cheddar is more acidic and sharp but is softer than the mild-tasting varieties.
Cheddar cheese is a famous part of many cheese blends used for pizza, but we would avoid using it for pizza toppings, especially because it does not melt like other types of cheese like mozzarella or provolone. Young varieties of cheese are the best option for pizza to maintain moisture during longer baking.
There is no issue with halal slaughter in cheddar cheese because you are unaware of what animals are being slaughtered in the same place to make any cheese. So, there is a chance of cross-contamination from other animals.
Therefore cheddar cheese is considered haram.
Conclusion
So it is clear from the above-discussed types of cheddar cheese that it is one of the best versatile cheeses available in the market, and no doubt we cannot wait to see more varieties made by Wisconsin Cheesemakers offer next. So all the types are best in flavors, tastes, and textures to meet the needs of cheese lovers in all dishes.