Kyle Phillips wrote:

>
> It's high time the US and other non-European areas started using
local names
> for their foodstuffs, rather than aping European names. Vermont and
> Wisconsin Cheddar, for example, can be superb, but if you've ever had
the
> real stuff from England you'll realize they're not Cheddar. Perhaps
just as
> good, but different because the cattle are different, as are the
forage
> (sp?) and the air
So why not give them names that people will recognize and
> seek out. Say, Cabbot cheese for Vermont?

I think there is a misunderstanding here. "Cheddar" or "cheddaring"
refers to the -process- by which a certain type of cheese is made. It
does not refer to a locality, or specific breed of cow. In fact, the
cheddar cheese producers in England are spread out over a fairly large
area. Certain cheddar cheeses in England are especially esteemed, such
as the farmhouse cheddars produced by Montgomery, Keen, or Horlicks.
But the cheeses produced by Cabot, Grafton, Shelbourne, etc are true
cheddars if made by the cheddaring -process-. Some of those cheddars
are excellent and can rival the best of the English farmhouse cheddars.
You're probably also aware that excellent cheddars are also produced
in Canada, Australia, New Zealand...the cheddaring -process- is used to
produce the cheese.

Mac