Why is cheddar the UK's number 1 cheese?

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MangoKakigori@reddit

It’s the most popular due to its relative ease of production and it’s variety in flavours with different levels of aging as well as there being so many different uses for it. There are so many different variants also with many different flavours.

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Leader_Bee@reddit (OP)

different strengths perhaps but all cheddar tastes pretty much the same to me; I wish we had a wider variety of Dutch cheeses, I love Edam.

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Ill-Breadfruit5356@reddit

Complains about cheddar all tasting the same and then says “I love Edam” 🤦🏼‍♂️

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David-Jatt@reddit

I think the lack of Edam is due to the odd way it's produced. It's made backwards.

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MangoKakigori@reddit

Then that’s an issue with your taste and not that of cheddar Britain has more international cheese awards than any other country on earth (that’s right we even beat the French)

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UniversitySimple1337@reddit

There also isn't a single British cheese in the top 100 though (Cheddar was 136 if you're interested).

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MangoKakigori@reddit

And tasteatlas is notorious within the food community for producing ridiculously skewed and in accurate and biased journalism for one example a lot of their lists are generated with AI based off of product reviews without flagging false/promotional/paid reviews and with the real ratings from users it does get they are then also cherry picked by AI it’s a very untrustworthy source for some things

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fsv@reddit

Most decent sized supermarkets will sell an aged Gouda, which is like Edam but with way more flavour.

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Moonunity@reddit

On a side note, does anyone's local Tesco have Cheshire? I've been to two the past few months and it's not stocked anymore.

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IntellegentIdiot@reddit

Where are you shopping because that's not normal. Off the top of my head I've seen: Edam Gouda Emmental Jarlsberg Brie Camenbert Feta Halloumi Port Salut Stilton Manchego Mozzerella (both wet and dry) Ricotta Marscapone As well as smoked cheese, "Boisin" and goats cheese. That's on top of the stuff they do for kids.

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iamdefinitelynotdave@reddit

As above plus pecorino and parmesan.

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Alamata626@reddit

It's cheese, it's British, it's mild, not too stinky, pretty versatile. The average punter is likely to go for Cheddar over something more exotic. As someone with lactose issues, I can get away with eating a small amount of Cheddar or Red Leicester - most different types of cheese are guaranteed to cause havoc with my belly.

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Pimp_out_Pris@reddit

>it's mild you're eating the wrong cheddar. It ranges from "might as well be plastic cheese" to "nuclear melt your mouth".

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Alamata626@reddit

Yes boss, you're correct. I'm most likely eating the wrong kind of Cheddar.

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Pimp_out_Pris@reddit

I say this as a massive cheese fiend, so I'm bordering on annoying door knocker levels of enthusiasm here... but hunt down some of the nuclear stuff. You're missing out on an entire universe of cheese based delight.

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Alamata626@reddit

Yes, I'm well aware of how passionate some folk are about cheese. You might have missed the second part of my original reply? It's a case of not being able to physically process it rather than not wanting to indulge at a similar level. I would if I could.

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reddituser018118055@reddit

Cheddar may be the single most popular cheese in the world but not round here, squire. It’s Ilchester. And no, we don’t have any in stock.

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Hairy_Celebration_57@reddit

I'm OK with Cheddar but I much prefer Cathedral City!

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three_shoes@reddit

Bland cheese for a bland society.

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MangoKakigori@reddit

If you are eating bland cheddar then that’s on you and you are probably buying the cheap fake generic imitation stuff

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Leader_Bee@reddit (OP)

it's not bland it's just goddamn, sometimes I would like some variety please. Luckily we have a cheesemonger here but it is the only one in my city and a little out of the way, so it's not as convenient as popping down the supermarket.

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YchYFi@reddit

Idk where you shop, but they have a huge range in most supermarkets.

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SwordfishExciting807@reddit

Tbf i live in london and my local massive sainsburys doesnt have much else but cheddar and maybe a brie or camembert if your lucky. Even the christmas cheese selection was shite

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ticaf95085@reddit

What Sainsburys is that? This doesn’t tally with my experience at all.

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SwordfishExciting807@reddit

Dalston. Its been gentrified now so i would have assume there would be at least some. Morrisons in the area has a full selection even when its just the morrison branded cheeses, edam manchego goats cheese all the regular ones

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ticaf95085@reddit

Do they still have the deli counter or has that gone now?

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SwordfishExciting807@reddit

In the sainsbury’s? No thats gone in our local unfortunately we just have a pizza bar instead :(

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ticaf95085@reddit

That’s a shame.

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MangoKakigori@reddit

There is already so much variety just within cheddar itself Light Mild Mature Extra mature Vintage Crumble Infused Smoked Cave aged Blended And that’s not including the endless list of cheddars that contain other ingredients also.

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Leader_Bee@reddit (OP)

That may be so, but the local supermarket is either yellow cheddar or cheddar with orange food colouring in it

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MangoKakigori@reddit

Your local supermarket isn’t the defining factor of the entirety of the wonderful vast and growing world of British dairy produce

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Leader_Bee@reddit (OP)

Oh indeed it's not, we have a cheesemonger but its out of the way and not always convenient to detour to when i have a cheese craving

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arfur-sixpence@reddit

Let's be clear on this. "Mild" cheddar isn't cheese, it's yellow rubber.

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PadHicks@reddit

Do you stick with SPAR or something? There is so much cheese in UK shops, and for those saying the Brits don't have the palate for it, what say you Stilton!?

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

It’s very versatile. It’s equally at home on a sandwich, a cheeseboard, grated onto a shepherds pie, mixed into mash or made into a Mac n cheese sauce. It’s also pretty unobjectionable in terms of taste unlike it’s blue cousins. Also what shop are you going to? Even my local Morrisons has about 20 different cheeses.

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Leader_Bee@reddit (OP)

Aldi, asda, ok they do have other cheeses but by ratio there are far more cheddars.

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Organic_Chemist9678@reddit

So basically your supermarket does have loads of other cheese and you are just trolling everyone?

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

Asda is the worst supermarket in my experience, but I’d have thought Aldi would definitely have a bit more variety. Don’t they usually do those “deluxe” ones? There’s normally a Roquefort or a comte in there.

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Iamamancalledrobert@reddit

It’s Emmental state of affairs The selection isn’t Gouda-nuff Edam is made backwards I am sad and alone

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Loud_Fisherman_5878@reddit

In most of my local shops they have quite a few British cheeses- the Lidl near me does red leicester, Cheshire, Wensleydale etc. If I went to an actual cheese shop I’m sure there would be many more options on top of this but I’m not sure where you’re shopping if all you see is cheddar!

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arfur-sixpence@reddit

So how many different chheses do you want? Try somewhere other that Aldi maybe. [Tesco Cheeses](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/fresh-food/cheese/speciality-and-continental-cheese)

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bikky73@reddit

I shop at Aldi, and never buy cheddar. They have a reasonable selection.

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bikky73@reddit

It's not mine. I think it's just ease for people without tastebuds.

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Alarmed_Crazy_6620@reddit

It's just the local variety of "cheaper, universal, inoffensive" cheese which most countries have. I don't think it's the Big Cheddar conspiracy. Most supermarkets will have something else with similar properties (e.g., Emmental)

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ticaf95085@reddit

I might be making this up but I believe all cheese makers had to switch to cheddar during WW2. It’s taken a long time for the industry to recover. Although it’s extremely healthy nowadays. British cheese is def amongst the best in the world.

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YchYFi@reddit

Cheddar is a very versatile middle of the market cheese. This is why. It is not too strong and not too mild.

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