Other than the color, is there any difference between white and orange
cheddar? I did a side-by-side taste test of two New York State Extra
Sharps from the same company, and I couldn't taste any difference. Is the
orange color just tradition?

MK

Michael L Kankiewicz wrote on 4/8/2009:

> Other than the color, is there any difference between white and orange
> cheddar? I did a side-by-side taste test of two New York State Extra
> Sharps from the same company, and I couldn't taste any difference. Is the
> orange color just tradition?

The orange color comes from something called anatto, which comes from
some kind
of tree. One reason for coloring it is to distinguish it from the
competition so that you can readily identify it at the store. Maybe
there are other reasons.

I think there is considerable variation in cheeses. I don't claim to
have particularly discerning taste, but obvious things to me would be
age, sharpness, and waxy versus crumbly.

At the end of the day (sorry, Wayne), I like most with a preference for
sharper and less waxy.

Michael L Kankiewicz wrote:

> Other than the color, is there any difference between white and orange
> cheddar? I did a side-by-side taste test of two New York State Extra
> Sharps from the same company, and I couldn't taste any difference. Is the
> orange color just tradition?
>
> MK
>

The orange color is normally created by adding something called annatto.
It has very little flavor of it's own so I'm not surprised you can't taste
the difference. I can't either.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annatto>

Cheddar cheese without added color comes out kind of creamy
off-white in color, depending on how long it's aged. Aging
tends to darken it.

--
Reg

Michael L Kankiewicz wrote:
> Other than the color, is there any difference between white and orange
> cheddar? I did a side-by-side taste test of two New York State Extra
> Sharps from the same company, and I couldn't taste any difference. Is the
> orange color just tradition?
>
> MK
>


Yes. Just tradition. It covers up the seasonal variability in color,
and now people have come to expect it as the "normal" color for cheddar
and colby cheese.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob > wrote in
:


>
> Yes. Just tradition. It covers up the seasonal variability in color,
> and now people have come to expect it as the "normal" color for
> cheddar and colby cheese.

I was at the dairy section of the supermarket I use one day, looking for
cheese, and there were some American women (at least, they sounded
American) looking at the various cheeses, and expressing astonishment that
there wasn't any yellow cheese <g>. Is it only in the US that this occurs,
or is it in Canada also? Any other countries? The only cheese of that sort
of colour that I recall seeing here is Double Gloucester.

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

"Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
. 5...
> zxcvbob > wrote in
> :
>
>
>>
>> Yes. Just tradition. It covers up the seasonal variability in color,
>> and now people have come to expect it as the "normal" color for
>> cheddar and colby cheese.
>
> I was at the dairy section of the supermarket I use one day, looking for
> cheese, and there were some American women (at least, they sounded
> American) looking at the various cheeses, and expressing astonishment that
> there wasn't any yellow cheese <g>. Is it only in the US that this occurs,
> or is it in Canada also? Any other countries? The only cheese of that sort
> of colour that I recall seeing here is Double Gloucester.
>
> --
> Rhonda Anderson
> Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Some 30 years ago, when I lived in Perth, W.A., yellow cheddar was the
norm - at least in the Charlie Carter supermarkets.
Both white and coloured are available here in Canada but the best is always
white. Balderson, who make superb white cheddars aged 1, 2, 3 , 5, or even
9 years, also make white and colored, "non-vintage" types. The non-vintage
types, from all makers, are simply labelled "mild", "medium", "sharp" (or
old) and "extra-sharp".

Graham

Rhonda Anderson wrote:

> zxcvbob > wrote in
> :
>
>
>
>>Yes. Just tradition. It covers up the seasonal variability in color,
>>and now people have come to expect it as the "normal" color for
>>cheddar and colby cheese.
>
>
> I was at the dairy section of the supermarket I use one day, looking for
> cheese, and there were some American women (at least, they sounded
> American) looking at the various cheeses, and expressing astonishment that
> there wasn't any yellow cheese <g>. Is it only in the US that this occurs,
> or is it in Canada also? Any other countries? The only cheese of that sort
> of colour that I recall seeing here is Double Gloucester.
>

Yes, Canada as well.

graham wrote:

> "Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
> . 5...
>
>>zxcvbob > wrote in
:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Yes. Just tradition. It covers up the seasonal variability in color,
>>>and now people have come to expect it as the "normal" color for
>>>cheddar and colby cheese.
>>
>>I was at the dairy section of the supermarket I use one day, looking for
>>cheese, and there were some American women (at least, they sounded
>>American) looking at the various cheeses, and expressing astonishment that
>>there wasn't any yellow cheese <g>. Is it only in the US that this occurs,
>>or is it in Canada also? Any other countries? The only cheese of that sort
>>of colour that I recall seeing here is Double Gloucester.
>>
>>--
>>Rhonda Anderson
>>Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
>
>
> Some 30 years ago, when I lived in Perth, W.A., yellow cheddar was the
> norm - at least in the Charlie Carter supermarkets.
> Both white and coloured are available here in Canada but the best is always
> white. Balderson, who make superb white cheddars aged 1, 2, 3 , 5, or even
> 9 years, also make white and colored, "non-vintage" types. The non-vintage
> types, from all makers, are simply labelled "mild", "medium", "sharp" (or
> old) and "extra-sharp".
>
> Graham
>
>

That is so true! I thought it was just me preferring the white to the
yellow but the white does taste better!