10 Cheesy Facts About the Cheddar Cheese That Came From England

Fact #1:

Cheddar cheese is most popular in the United Kingdom. Believe it or not, it accounts for 51% of the cheese market.

Fact #2:

Cheddar cheese has been produced as far back as 1170. It has been theorized that the Romans brought the recipe to England from France.

Fact #3:

Joseph Harding’s cheese-making techniques have led many to classify him as the “father of Cheddar cheese.” He introduced Cheddar cheese into Scotland and North America. Joseph’s son Henry was credited with taking over from his father and introducing Cheddar cheese into Australia.

Fact #4:

Wisconsin Cheddar cheese weighing in at a whopping 34,951 pounds was produced for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. To put this into perspective, this amount of cheese required the daily production of milk from 16,000 cows.

Fact #5:

In European countries, it is common for Cheddar cheese to mature in caves. Today, caves in the United Kingdom that are still used for maturing Cheddar cheese include Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge.

Fact #6:

Cheddar cheese is currently produced in these areas of the world: United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, United States, Australia, Belgium, South Africa, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

Fact #7:

Many people believe that Cheddar cheese should have a deep orange color, however, when the cheese is initially produced, it only has a pale yellow color. Food colorings are used to dye the cheese orange.

Fact #8:

Kraft is the largest Cheddar cheese producer in the United States.

Fact #9:

Cheddar cheese that has not been colored orange is often referred to as “White Cheddar” or “Vermont Cheddar,” even thought it might not have actually been produced in the state of Vermont.

Fact #10:

In the United States, Wisconsin produces the most Cheddar cheese. In general, Cheddar cheese is a good source of vitamin B12.