Cheddar Cheese, Yellow Aged 5 Years

1/2 lb (8 oz) Block

 Aged 5 years yellow hard/semi-hard cheddar.

• Cheddaring refers to an additional step in the production of cheddar cheese where, after heating, the curds are kneaded with salt, cut into cubes to drain the whey, and then stacked and turned.
• Strong, extra-mature cheddar, needs to be matured for up to 15 months in an aging room.

Character

• Cheddar is as close and firm in texture, yet mellow in character or quality; it is rich with a tendency to melt in the month, the flavor full and fine, approaching that of a hazelnut.
• Cheddar made in a classical way tends to have a sharp, pungent flavor, often slightly earthly. Its texture is firm, with farmhouse traditional cheddar being slightly crumbly; it should also, if mature, contain large cheese crystals consisting of calcium bits – often precipitated when matured for times longer than two years.

May contain aging crystals.