Crossing the Ocean to visit English Cheeses

Today we are going to talk about some popular English cheeses.  Our purpose in discussing is to open your mind and tastebuds to experience some great cheeses you may or may not know about.


First up:
Blue Stilton:  To be called "Blue Stilton", a cheese must:

• Be made only in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire from local milk, which is pasteurised before use.
• Be made only in a traditional cylindrical shape.
• Be allowed to form its own crust or coat.
• Be unpressed.
• Have delicate blue veins radiating from the centre.
• Have a "taste profile typical of Stilton".

info from:  Wikipedia

My pick:  Long Clawson Blue Stilton

Cotswold:  Cotswold is a Double Gloucester with chopped onions and chives blended into the cheese. Cotswold is a region in Southwestern England. The Cotswold cheese is also just called 'Double Gloucester with Chives' or 'Pub Cheese'.

It is a smooth, cheddar-like cheese with chives and onions. In the pub it is usually served with toast or rustic bread. The mellow cheese with the strong flavors of the chives and onions make Cotswold a good company for the more softer and milder cheese on your cheese board.

info from: Gourmet-Food.com

My pick: Somerdale Cotswold

Wensleydale with Cranberries:  Wensleydale with Cranberries is a hand-made Yorkshire cheese. It is made from milk drawn from cows grazing the sweet limestone pastures on surrounding farms in Upper Wensleydale. This gives the cheese the unique flavor for which it is renowned.

The cheese is a fresh, young cheese taken at only three weeks old - it has a clean, mild, slightly sweet flavor with a honeyed aftertaste. The superb texture of fresh Wensleydale is perfectly complemented by the addition of natural ingredients of the finest quality.

When this Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese is combined with juicy cranberries you will get a cheese
that is a beauty to your eyes and to your taste buds.

My pick:  Long Clawson Wensleydale with Cranberries

Sage Derby:  is a variety of Derby cheese that is mild, mottled green and semi-hard, and has a sage flavour. The colour is from sage and sometimes other colouring added to the curds, producing a marbling effect and a subtle herb flavour. The colour is formed either by mixing sage leaves into the curd before it is pressed or by the addition of "green curd" from green corn or spinach juice. In the latter case, the flavour has to be created with colourless sage extract. The sage gives the cheese an almost minty flavour. Parsley, spinach and marigold leaves, bruised and steeped before use, can also be included instead of the sage leaves.^[1]    

Info from Wikipedia

My pick: Somerdale Sage Derby

Our last choice from England is Huntsman:  Huntsman is the marriage of two delicious British classics; Double Gloucester and Blue Stilton, brought together through a complex layering process. Creamy, forceful Stilton is sandwiched between an exterior of mellow, Double Gloucester. The result is an excellent flavor combination that is as delicious as it is beautiful.

My pick:  Long Clawson Huntsman Cheese