Nov
Guide to English Cheeses
There are over 700 different cheeses produced in Britain. Cheese can be made from lots of different types of milk, such as buffalo milk, sheeps’ milk and goats’ milk. Most of the cheese eaten in the UK is made from cows’ milk. To make cheese, milk has to be separated into curds which are the lumpy bits and whey which is the liquid bit. We make cheese with the curds Some cheeses, like Mature Cheddar, are stored for one year or longer before they are ready to eat. They are kept in special rooms and sometimes even caves. Cheddar is named after the Cheddar Gorge caves in Somerset where the cheese used to be stored to ripen. Cheshire is one of the oldest British cheeses, and even gets a mention in the Domesday Book. Cornish Yarg came from a recipe found in a book in a farmer’s attic - his name was Mr Gray (Yarg spelt backwards). Caerphilly was traditionally eaten by Welsh coal miners for their lunch. Every spring sees locals in the village of Stilton, Peterborough, race along a course rolling giant, Stilton shaped wheels. Cheese comes in many different colours, textures, tastes and appearances. They can be hard, soft and some are runny. Cheese is packed with the protein that we all need to build and maintain our bodies. From hair to muscle, almost 20% of your body is made from protein. A small matchbox-sized piece of Cheddar contains as much calcium as a third of a pint of milk.
