643187 Sun Aug 09 07:17:05 -0700 2009 64 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4930326 Let's dish about everyday cheddars--what's great, what do you avoid? And, for fun, if you have a favorite eating cheddar (in a higher price range), bring that on, too. FAVORITE EVERYDAY CHEDDARS: - Cabot (Hunter's Seriously Sharp--the one with red flannel on the label)--we use Cabot more often than not - McAdam Sharp I AVOID THESE CHEDDARS: - Kraft (we picked it up last week as a quick grab and it's suboptimal, to say the least) - Sargento (lacks flavor of good cheddars mentioned above) SPECIAL CHEDDAR BUYS: - It's been too long. Tell me about your favorites! The beauty of Cabot and McAdam is not only the taste, but the price. I stock up like mad when shredded Cabot is 2/$4 at our local supermarkets. And I've picked up blocks of McAdam for dirt cheap at PriceRite, a local discount market. Let the cheesy discussion begin! Sun Aug 09 07:17:06 -0700 2009 249664 kattyeyes 1 4930436 I find that most national brands are quite bland. My first criteria is to look for the age on the label. I like bold, complex cheddar, so I usually go for one in the 7-10 year range. I look for small batch producers too. I will go for Tillamook if I need a middle of the road cheddar though. Depends on what I'm making. Sun Aug 09 08:07:21 -0700 2009 4930326 130031 Shane Greenwood 2 4930472 I am not sure there is a cheddar that is in the 7-10 year range; even 5 year old cheddars are pretty rare. Sun Aug 09 08:32:36 -0700 2009 4930436 10756 PBSF 3 4931036 There is. Keep an eye out for them at quality cheese shops and farmers markets. You won't find cheese like that at the grocery store. Sun Aug 09 13:00:36 -0700 2009 4930472 130031 Shane Greenwood 4 4931302 I shop at quite a few cheese shops in the San Francisco area including Cow Girl, Cheese Board and have not come across cheddars aged that long. I'll definitely have to look more closely. Do you know a cheese shop/farmer's market in the SF Bay Area that would have some? Thanks. Sun Aug 09 15:14:12 -0700 2009 4931036 10756 PBSF 5 4931579 I'm pretty sure Cowgirl doesn't make any cheddars, so they wouldn't be the right place to look. Cheese Board might be a better bet. I haven't looked for them there, but you should ask them. The best ones I've had were coming out of the midwest, so you might want to order online. I used to see them at the farmers markets in Chicago. If you do a google search for "10-year cheddar", you'll find a lot of hits. Sun Aug 09 17:06:58 -0700 2009 4931302 130031 Shane Greenwood 6 4932167 Thank you very much for the info on "10-year cheddar" on google. We'll have to order some. Cowgirl in the SF Ferry Plaza Market carries many cheeses that they don't make, including cheddars from the Midwest and East, also from Neal Yard. Sun Aug 09 22:52:49 -0700 2009 4931579 10756 PBSF 7 4932420 Ah right, I see what you meant. Definitely check for some of those online, there are some mentions further down in this thread too. They are rare since many excellent cheddars are made without a lot of age (6-12 months). But definitely worth finding if you want to explore some new styles and flavors. Mon Aug 10 05:48:56 -0700 2009 4932167 130031 Shane Greenwood 5 5013405 I just bought an 8 year old Quebec cheddar at Say Cheese in Cole Valley. It's a white cheddar, soft and creamy texture with a mellow yet complex flavor, very good. They have a five year version as well. Tue Sep 08 09:33:56 -0700 2009 4931302 130031 Shane Greenwood 6 5035299 Thank you very much for the tip on aged cheddar at Say Cheese. I'll give them a try. Wed Sep 16 16:21:11 -0700 2009 5013405 10756 PBSF 7 5040152 Just saw 5 1/2 year old yellow cheddar at Sigona's in Redwood City last night too. Tasted mellow with a slightly sharp finish. Not as complex as the Say Cheese Quebec Cheddar, but still quite good. Fri Sep 18 12:07:39 -0700 2009 5035299 130031 Shane Greenwood 3 4932849 I see the 7, 10 all the time at my local market. Sometimes there is even 15! I nominate Cracker Barrel for avoiding, even for everyday nibbling. Rubbery and tasteless! Mon Aug 10 08:20:59 -0700 2009 4930472 166743 pinkprimp 3 4933142 I've eaten 10 year cheddar, maybe older. It's not for everyone! Can be VERY pungent. I do love a 5-7 year old cheddar a lot. The cheese shop at the Mall of America in Minneapolis sells aged cheddar...and a great Stilton too! Mon Aug 10 09:47:57 -0700 2009 4930472 123480 scuzzo 1 4930690 For eating, Montgomery, Keen's and Quick's in that order. Unless I see any small producer ones in the cheese shop. Like most cheddars, these three are aged 18 -24 months, to provide a good sharp taste and dry texture. For cooking, any decent supermarket stuff with a strength score of 5 or 6. I see little point in mild cheddar. Whilst I think there's a place for cheddar, it wouldnt be my preferred hard cheese for eating or, indeed, for most cooking (except, perhaps, a cheese sauce) Sun Aug 09 10:18:55 -0700 2009 4930326 154102 Harters 2 4930741 The English are sufficiently fanatical about their cheese that they actually have strength scores - that's a nice revelation. Over here in the US we're stuck with length of aging, such vague descriptions as Medium, Sharp and Extra Sharp, and word of mouth via forums of this kind. The only other way we have of finding a decent cheese is to patronize such cheese stores and supermarkets as put out samples. I've discovered some small creameries here on the west coast that make some beautiful cheddars, though nothing like the very old one that a friend brought from her home in Wisconsin, supplied by her retired cheese-maker father. It was incredibly stout and rich, with the kind of crunch effect you get in a good aged gruyere, but it was the last of that on the planet - he'd shut down his factory a decade before. Again, if I had easy access to the kinds of non-cheddar hard cheeses still available in the UK, even after so many have apparently died out, I'd be as blasé about it as Harters is. But my choice is restricted by both availability and price - yes, I can get Wensleydale or Double Gloucester, but I can't dammit afford it, except for small bits for a party tray. Sun Aug 09 10:38:50 -0700 2009 4930690 11478 Will Owen 3 4931276 "Strength scores" for cheese goes on my "What I learned on Chowhound today" list. :) I'm with you, Will--it would be nice to have something like that here in the US. The lost chord of cheese you described from Wisconsin sounded exquisite. Too bad it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Sun Aug 09 15:03:22 -0700 2009 4930741 249664 kattyeyes 4 4933498 Once in a lifetime for me, but for Patty the cheesemaker's daughter it was the end of an era - her family had lived over the factory! This cheese had actually been frozen, and she'd been given about five pounds of it, plus several packages of local sausage, because the freezer was being cleaned out. The fat content of the cheese was so high it had suffered not at all, or at least the flavor hadn't. It was like tasting a genuinely ancient port or madeira. Mon Aug 10 11:19:57 -0700 2009 4931276 11478 Will Owen 3 4932239 Will I try not to be blase about good cheese in the UK. It's a precious product and one ofwhich many folk do not take advantage of. Most sold is block creamery cheese of no great distinction - although supermarkets are likely to sell at least one of the three cheddars I mentioned. This isnt the thread for a recent history of our cheese, but you're right about the demise of many producers. Milk production was strictly controlled by the government in World War 2 and cheese was very much a rationed item (I think it was 2oz per person, per week). Small production was all but impossible and milk was sent to the major creameries where the government permitted the production of the main regional styles we see today (like Wensleydale or, in my region, Cheshire & Lancashire). It's only in comparitively recent years that the small producers have started to regain a decent market. Just for interest, here's a link to my favourite Cheshire cheesemaker. Family produced since 1930, Mr & Mrs Bourne are a super couple who sell at my local farmers market. I see they will sell overseas so, depending on what imprt restrictions might apply where you are, it could be an opportunity. http://www.hsbourne.co.uk/ John Mon Aug 10 01:17:11 -0700 2009 4930741 154102 Harters 2 4931081 I haven't had Quick's but definitely agree on the Montgomery and Keen's line-up (have some Keen's in the fridge now). I generally don't like cheddar as an eating cheese and only use it sometimes in cooking (in which case, I found that the Kraft all natural sharp cheddar did a phenomenal job in my biscuits). I don't have an everyday cheese (or, in this case, an everyday cheddar). I just eat less cheese and buy more expensive/artisan ones. Sun Aug 09 13:26:23 -0700 2009 4930690 17410 Ali 1 4930813 While I do enjoy a trip to a cheese market for some special aged cheeses, I must rely on my local chain grocery store for our 'everyday cheeses'. We go though way too much cheese and breadsticks to be spending lots of money on cheese. I love a good New York extra-sharp cheddar. As for national brands, I actually really like Cracker Barrel 2% sharp white cheddar. I typically will stay away from any low fat cheese as they usually have some weird unidentifiable underlying taste, but this one is really good. Even my husband likes it. Sun Aug 09 11:15:06 -0700 2009 4930326 256326 nmurawsk 2 4930848 I liked the Cracker Barrel sharp yellow cheddar for everyday use but it seems to be extinct, except for the marbled yellow and white. Trader Joes has plenty of choices but once I discovered their Double Gloucester with Caramelized Onion, I was home! Sun Aug 09 11:29:08 -0700 2009 4930813 159317 greygarious 1 4931019 We're blessed by living near the Pine River Cheese & Butter Co-operative, a dairy farmers' co-op In Bruce County Ontario. Our everyday cheese is their "extra old" which has been aged for about 2 years or more. White or yellow - makes no difference. There is one twist though. There is a bin in the retail area with"trim ends" - the bits left over from packaging which are compressed so they have a very, very satisfying texture. It's crumbly andthe taste is quite sharp - I'm especially fond of the calicium nubbins that give it a crunch. It's a good snacking cheese and excellent on toast or English muffiin under the broiler, in rabbits or in cheese sauce. Pine River premium cheeses are aged fo 3, 5, 7 or 9 years. We go for the 7 or 9 year ones. The sharpness has mellowed considerably but the taste is still strong and complex. The nearest taste I can compare it to is that of a dry white wine. The nubbins are usually gone and the texture has changed from crumbly to buttery. The price difference between these and the younger premiums are minimal. I have not seen the 9 year old anywhere but Pine River's shop.It's not available online either (see link below) and even the 7 year old can be hard to find. Baldersons and Empire crop up on the Ontario board as well and I would dearly love to compare 3 cheeses from the same year class over 5 years. http://www.pinerivercheese.com/ I don't know if it was/is available in the States but we used to favour "Mclarens Imperial Sharp" which came in a flat, round, red package. It was indeed, "sharp" and it was spreadable. Some tears ago it was bought out by Kraft. it may be just the "Kraft" association, but the product seemed to change a bit. Put it in front of me and I'll still happily eat it. I haven't tasted an unpasteurised cheddar but can say that there is a sharp divide between product made from fresh whole milk and that from milk components. Having said that, I'll still scoff a piece of Kraft or Cherry hill. Sun Aug 09 12:49:13 -0700 2009 4930326 55318 DockPotato 2 4931283 I am so jealous of your everyday use "extra old"--I love the little bits of crunch, it sounds so wonderful! Sun Aug 09 15:05:51 -0700 2009 4931019 249664 kattyeyes 2 4932938 After too many old cheeseless (except when my parents sent it) years in the States, I have been happy to find good Canadian cheddar in NY markets in the past year or so. TJ's Canadian is decent, the Amish Markets in Manhattan sell one that was better when I first found it (is now more akin to a new cheese), and Sea/Nature Land in Park Slope sells a very good Quebec aged cheese. Nothing compares with the 5-7 year old my dad used to send me from the Bright, ON cheese factory, but a need is met. Re the Bay Area: we lived in Berkeley, CA for many years, and I never came across the kind of cheese I was looking for there. I was snottily infomed by a delightful woman at the Cheeseboard on Shattuck that I obviously knew nothing about cheddars since I disdained theirs. Right. My grandfathers both spoke lovingly about eating cheese so old it had what were referred to as skippers (if you don't know what they are, you probably don't really want to). We quite often had 15-20 year old cheeses on hand. Long line of cheddar eaters in my family. Mon Aug 10 08:45:11 -0700 2009 4931019 13709 buttertart 1 4931057 My go-to is the Cabot Hunter; when it's 2 bucks for 8 ounces I load up. Cabot makes a nice, creamy horseradish cheddar that I obnoxiously scarfed down at their factory sampling room, but my local Florida markets don't stock it. The 4 year and older black wax cheddars get pricey. Grafton is pretty good. The best I ever had was a no-name slice from a wheel simply labeled "5 year old Canadian cheddar". It was the Holy Grail and I have not found anything close since. "Rats" , whines this cheese mouse. Sun Aug 09 13:14:29 -0700 2009 4930326 57170 Veggo 2 4931292 We load up at the same sale--how can you go wrong? Especially when its primary use (in this house, anyway) is cheesy eggs or strata? I want to say I bought Grafton in (of all places) a discount supermarket. I'll have to look when I go again. And I'm with you--some of the nicer cheddars we used to get were from Canada and in a league of their own. Mmmmmmmmmmm! Sun Aug 09 15:08:20 -0700 2009 4931057 249664 kattyeyes 1 4931295 My favorite everyday cheddar is 1-year Dubliner Cheddar from Kerrygold. Special cheddar would be Vermont's 4- years Grafton Village, but thats a once or twice a year treat for me. Sun Aug 09 15:09:29 -0700 2009 4930326 11222 Infomaniac 2 4931300 I've seen Kerrygold in the specialty cheese section of Stop & Shop. Is the 1-year old Dubliner something you can get in your local supermarket, or a specialty store. I've tried other Kerrygolds and liked them. Sun Aug 09 15:11:36 -0700 2009 4931295 249664 kattyeyes 3 4931359 My local supermarket (MarketBasket) carries a 7oz. block for $2.99. It's has a nice tastes/texture and a little drier or less moisture that the Cabot. Sun Aug 09 15:45:19 -0700 2009 4931300 11222 Infomaniac 1 4931311 Rogue Creamery, besides it's signature blue cheese, also makes cheddar in some interesting variations. http://www.roguecreamery.com/ They don't seem to promote them online though. Sun Aug 09 15:20:58 -0700 2009 4930326 10651 bbqboy 2 4931341 Apparently, "happy cows" come from Oregon, too ("Don't vote for Alicia!"). I love those happy cow commercials. So clever. ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_457FwV5tno&feature=PlayList&p=883DD36B0885564D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=14 Will keep my eye out for Rogue--I've heard good things about them before. Thanks! Sun Aug 09 15:36:43 -0700 2009 4931311 249664 kattyeyes 3 4931450 For "commercial" brands, my favorite supermarket cheddar is Boar's Head, 3 year aged Canadian Cheddar... Sun Aug 09 16:18:02 -0700 2009 4931341 24648 Sean 4 4932252 Also, a local market chain near me (RI) sells an English cheddar that is very good, interesting flavor difference than most cheddars I have had from supermarkets. The brand name is Coastal http://www.fordfarm.com/default.aspx?p=coastal Mon Aug 10 01:44:29 -0700 2009 4931450 24648 Sean 5 4932620 Sean - that Coastal cheese is what Whole Foods sells as Seaside (mentioned in my post below). It's seriously wonderful! Mon Aug 10 07:11:19 -0700 2009 4932252 10532 LindaWhit 6 4932632 Linda The crystallisation thing is mentioned on Coastal's website so I guess it's the same beast. I think the company must export much of its product to America - as I see few UK references to it, but a lot of US ones, on Google. J Mon Aug 10 07:15:39 -0700 2009 4932620 154102 Harters 7 4932652 Harters, there was another thread you and I were talking about Seaside/Coastal, and while I can't find it now, I think I linked something that showed it was the same maker. Don't know how close Dorset is to you, but perhaps a call to see if they sell in your area is in order. This is definitely a cheese to put on a cheeseboard for guests. Or hoard for yourself. ;-) Mon Aug 10 07:25:08 -0700 2009 4932632 10532 LindaWhit 8 4932965 Dorset is middle of nowhere for everyone except people who live in Dorset! It's at the other end of England for me but email knows no county boundaries. One wings its way to them asking if they have a local supplier. Actually for guests, I only ever serve north western cheese. And only ever a single cheese on my cheeseboard - I find it makes matching the accompaniments much easier. Mon Aug 10 08:54:27 -0700 2009 4932652 154102 Harters 9 4933069 Interesting - only one cheese served on a cheeseboard? I usually go with 3 - a blue (although I tend to prefer "light" blue cheeses), and often a goat cheese and one other - sometimes cheddar, sometimes a Manchego-like cheese. Accompaniments are several crackers/mini-toasts and dried apricots and a bunch of grapes. I hope that the Seaside Cheddar makers get back to you with a local supplier! Mon Aug 10 09:28:44 -0700 2009 4932965 10532 LindaWhit 10 4933110 I got the idea of the single serving from an article by Nigel Slater, our top food writer IMO. Nothing to beat a very large piece of mature Lancashire on, say, the Christmas lunch table, surrounded by little slices of fruit cake. It's a northern thing - the fruit cake. Mon Aug 10 09:40:02 -0700 2009 4933069 154102 Harters 11 4933178 That's a family favorite for us as well - introduced to my family by a neighbor from Yorkshire. My dad was English but from Sussex. What an excellent combination of flavors. Mon Aug 10 09:56:02 -0700 2009 4933110 13709 buttertart 12 4933419 My family name (Hartley) originates from around the Lancashire/Yorkshire border and is still very much a regional name. My father would have jam with his cheese but that's not something I've fancied trying. Just to run with the single cheese idea for a moment - I'll do Cheshire cheese with a local apple and celery but a Spanish cheese, say a Mahon, cries out for grapes. If I serve separately, I can get perfect pairings. If served together, you can get a mishmash of flavours that doesnt appeal to me. And a perfectly ripe runny Brie needs nothing more than bread. Mon Aug 10 11:00:49 -0700 2009 4933178 154102 Harters 13 4933653 I love jam with cheese. It's my favorite way to eat cherry preserves. Mon Aug 10 11:56:57 -0700 2009 4933419 127625 fern 13 4933809 The single cheese is a good idea. Will give it a go. Nigel Slater is my favorite of the current crop of UK food writers as well. He has an extremely engaging style and everything I've tried of his has been super. Mon Aug 10 12:38:55 -0700 2009 4933419 13709 buttertart 14 4934218 Slater's currently working on a new TV programme - it''ll only be his second series (assuming it is actually a food one). The other was a few years back and I'd have to say he's a far better writer than "on screen presence". Mon Aug 10 14:30:36 -0700 2009 4933809 154102 Harters 15 4934352 I would expect his persona to be low-key. One hopes he won't fall victim to the type of handlers who transformed a charmingly diffident and quiet US chef (Rick Bayless, Mexican food expert extraordinaire) into a forcedly boisterous unwatchable caricature. Or perhaps such creatures do not exist in the UK. Mon Aug 10 15:11:30 -0700 2009 4934218 13709 buttertart 9 4945720 For the benefit of any readers in Britain, I've had a reply from the Coastal people. I asked a specific question about suppliers in my county and neighbouring areas and got a vague response saying it was available from "multiple retailers". No, it isnt - at least none known to me for selling good cheese. They do mention that their major UK outlet is Costco. I believe this is an American company which has a few outlets in the UK which probably supports my guess that most of the company's production goes for export to north America. Fri Aug 14 03:48:27 -0700 2009 4932965 154102 Harters 10 4945740 Interesting that they were so vague - it does seem as if the majority is being exported to the U.S. I guess if you're ever in a Costco in the U.K., you can always see if they have it there. Fri Aug 14 04:14:36 -0700 2009 4945720 10532 LindaWhit 1 4931794 The Jewel ad shows Tillamook on sale, 8 oz for 2.49 through Wednesday. Sun Aug 09 18:39:17 -0700 2009 4930326 127625 fern 2 4932401 Tillamook from Costco--usually the extra sharp loaf (I think it's 2 pounds) for about $8 Mon Aug 10 05:39:56 -0700 2009 4931794 109573 coney with everything 1 4932565 FAVORITE EVERYDAY CHEDDAR - like you, Cabot's Hunter's Seriously Sharp. ETA: Grafton is another good everyday. AVOID: Cracker Barrel (will buy only if that's all they have) and anything that's been preshredded and in a bag - Kraft, Sargento, any of them. SPECIAL CHEDDAR BUY - only found at Whole Foods in my area - Seaside Cheddar from England - a nice sharp cheddar with some crystallization that "pop" in your mouth when it's at room temperature. Mon Aug 10 06:57:41 -0700 2009 4930326 10532 LindaWhit 1 4932588 2nd Cabot, well aged, great taste, affordable. I've tried some Dubliner cheddar, not as sharp but good flavor. Mon Aug 10 07:04:01 -0700 2009 4930326 149836 cstr 1 4932595 In days of old, some cheddars were nicely crumbly, and a piece one might mount on a triscuit vaguely resembled a jagged-edged tetrahedron. Now, every carved piece is flat linear surfaces like little bricks. What happened to the old rule that nature abhors a straight line? Anybody know why, or know of any nice crumblies? Mon Aug 10 07:05:51 -0700 2009 4930326 57170 Veggo 2 4933184 Aging contributes to the crumble. The older cheddars crumble nicely. No straight lines! I like the New Zealand Grassfed White Cheddar from Trader Joe's if you like a nice sharp flavor. Reasonably priced too. Mon Aug 10 09:57:37 -0700 2009 4932595 123480 scuzzo 1 4932754 Kraft's Coon Cheddar is supposed to be quite good, actually (if they still make it- it's been many years since I've eaten it). Like many domestic cheddars, one should avoid the extra-sharps because of bitterness, and the mediums and milds because of blandness, and stick to the sharps, which are really medium. I was particularly impressed with Joseph Farms sharp, from a price standpoint, as far as depth of flavor. It should be noted that I keep kosher, and that therefore I have not had a decent cheddar in years, but Joseph Farms was kosher for a time, and it was the best available. Some sharp Cabot is now available under decent kosher supervision, but is too expensive. In my younger days, when I did not keep kosher, cheese was my passion (we're talking '70s and early '80s), and Kraft Coon, which was widely available, was my "go to" Cheddar. In those days, one went to a specialy chees shop for the better stuff- it wasn't available down the street. Now, with Cabot available in every supermarket, as well as "specialty cheese" sections, it's a golden age for consumers. Mon Aug 10 07:55:58 -0700 2009 4930326 23013 ganeden 1 4933269 Has anyone else come across the Cabot Cloth Bound Cheddar, caved-aged at Jasper Hill Farms for a year, I think? We're definitely fans. Actually, just thinking about it, I can kinda taste it. Mon Aug 10 10:22:54 -0700 2009 4930326 41864 optimal forager 2 4933542 http://www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/our_products/products.php?catID=18 (at the bottom of the link) I haven't see it, but it sounds good - I have tried their Private Stock, and find I prefer Hunter's Seriously Sharp better. I *would* like to try their Old School Cheddar aged 5 years as well! Mon Aug 10 11:30:50 -0700 2009 4933269 10532 LindaWhit 1 4933609 Grafton now also has a cave-aged cheddar: http://www.graftonvillagecheese.com/shop/store.php?crn=226&rn=453&action=show_detail Mon Aug 10 11:47:13 -0700 2009 4930326 1098779 carbonaraboy 1 4934293 http://www.cheesesociety.org/associations/2382/files/2009%20Awards%20Brochure.pdf American Cheese Society's 2009 winners (too many to list) Mon Aug 10 14:49:58 -0700 2009 4930326 223804 Reignking 2 4941234 My everyday cheddar is Australian cheddar from Zabar's (don't know the brand) its pretty tasty especially if not straight out of the fridge and the price can't be beat <$3 lb. Wed Aug 12 16:03:22 -0700 2009 4934293 14210 olia 1 4941280 Our current favorite is an Aged English Cheddar with Carmelized Onions available at Trader Joe's. Like candy.... Wed Aug 12 16:16:00 -0700 2009 4930326 147113 ola 1 5035296 This a great topic that deserves bumping. The term 'everyday cheddar' really needs to be split into two: - nibbling cheddar, to be sampled by itself with perhaps fruit, wine, crusty bread, etc - MELTING cheddar, mainly for sandwiches A truly sharp cheddar in the latter subcat seems to be an endangered species, much to my sandwich eating dismay. Economics (and possibly lower gov't standards) encourage the bulk producers to age less and produce a product that hardly deserves to be called 'cheddar'. Also, it is a very fine line of aging between melting capable and spontaneously breaking into grease (characteristic of well aged great artisinal nibbling cheese). Here in SoCal I've only found that Tillamook sharp and (very surprisingly) Fresh and Easy 'extra' sharp meet the requirement for superior melting cheddar. There may be others but they might be out of my usual everyday price range or convenience. BTW if I was Emperor of the US (or just the FDA and USDA) I'd change the naming regulations for *current* bulk cheddar: Mild - Outlawed under penalty of death. Medium - relabel to 'mild' or outlaw - mild cheddar is an oxymoron to me Sharp - relabel to 'medium' and 'for wimps only' Extra sharp - if it melts, it is probably just 'sharp' to my taste Other - reduce annatto content to a hue midway between jack and that abomination 'American' End of rant :-). Wed Sep 16 16:19:14 -0700 2009 4930326 23712 DiveFan 2 5035328 We too like the Tillamook for melting -- it makes a great grilled cheese sandwich. We can get it here in nyc. Wed Sep 16 16:34:34 -0700 2009 5035296 104084 LNG212 1 5035480 I avoid any mild or light cheddars, waxy and bland. I actually don't mind cracker barrel medium, and I typically keep either shredded bags in the fridge with blends or straight, for salads and melting etc. Favorites outside that include Applewood smoked cheddar, and any variations of the aged Balderson cheeses. Whiskey Glenphilly, when I can find it. Any cheese is an every day cheese for me ! Wed Sep 16 17:42:37 -0700 2009 4930326 153184 im_nomad 1 5038283 Old Quebec. I always taste before buying and inevitable end up buying this very sharp white. It makes a good mac and cheese too. Thu Sep 17 17:34:02 -0700 2009 4930326 13192 chocolatetartguy 1 5040180 I lived in Oregon for 10 years and one of our favorite outings for visitors was a trip to Cannon Beach with a stop at the Tillamook factory. I use their cheddar as my everyday cheddar for its taste and the effort they make to use non-BST milk. Fri Sep 18 12:16:37 -0700 2009 4930326 323100 trvler