Knowra Cheddar cheese Cheddar cheese Cheddar is a firm cheese traditionally made from cow’s milk by cutting, heating, draining, and stacking curds in the cheddaring process. Its flavor and texture vary with aging.
Cheddaring : A cheesemaking step that stacks and turns slabs of drained curd, promoting acid development and whey removal. This defining step gives cheddar its name and helps create its firm, layered curd.
Cheddar, Somerset : A village in Somerset, England, associated with the historic origin of cheddar cheese. The cheese takes its name from this English village.
Cheese sauce : A sauce made by dispersing cheese in a liquid, often with a starch-based thickener. Cheddar supplies a strong, familiar flavor to sauces for vegetables and pasta.
Colby cheese : A mild American cheese made from washed curds, producing a softer, moister texture than cheddar. Colby resembles mild cheddar but its curd-washing step yields a less acidic cheese.
Cheese curd : The solid portion of coagulated milk, separated from liquid whey during cheesemaking. Cheddar begins when coagulated milk is cut into curds before heating and draining.
Cheddar Gorge : A limestone gorge in Somerset, England, near the village of Cheddar. Caves in the gorge were historically used to store and mature cheddar.
Grilled cheese sandwich : A hot sandwich made by grilling bread around a melted cheese filling. Cheddar melts readily and pairs well with toasted bread.
Monterey Jack : A mild, semi-hard American cheese known for a supple texture and good melting properties. Its soft, mild character contrasts with aged cheddar’s firmer texture and sharper taste.
Rennet : A mixture of enzymes, especially chymosin, that coagulates milk by acting on casein proteins. Rennet commonly sets the milk before cheddar curds are cut.
Joseph Harding : A nineteenth-century English dairy farmer and cheesemaker who promoted standardized cheddar-making methods. Harding helped spread a more consistent method for making cheddar.
Show all 21