Comments on: Brevity Week Continues

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:04:29 +0000

My problem isn’t with cheddar that’s too bland–it’s cheddar that’s to sharp. Still, now that I know what a wide variety there is, I might try some different kinds.

By: David A. Rooney

David A. Rooney — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:54:19 +0000

Nicole - thanks, I haven’t seen that Monty Python skit in a while.

By: Ian Osmond

Ian Osmond — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:12:25 +0000

Chuck: there are many forms of cheddar, some of which ARE gross, and many of which are quite good.

I personally like ones that are aged between six months and two years, that have moderate crumbliness, medium-high sharpness, and are white, rather than being colored orange with annatto. I prefer New England and upstate New York cheddars, followed by English, followed by Irish, followed by Wisconsin — on average. Obviously, individual cheddars may be higher or lower in my estimation.

Bad cheddars, in my opinion, are rubbery and bland. And it’s real easy to find a rubbery, bland cheddar. But good cheddars are a different kettle of . . . vat of milk.

By: Kamino Neko

Kamino Neko — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:05:46 +0000

As I understand it, both Edam and Gouda are coated in colour coded wax, depending how much they’ve been aged - yellow or red for regular, black for old.

By: The Bad Seed

The Bad Seed — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:38:58 +0000

Last fall I bought some moderately pricey aged gouda at Wegman’s for a party (a variety including 3-year, 5-year, etc), and, as I remember, at least some of it had a cover/wrapper that was brown to reddish-brown. Maybe it wasn’t technically a wax rind but more of a label of some sort, but it was definitely colored on the outside. I’ve found some other examples, including: http://www.artisanalcheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=10418 and http://www.wallywine.com/p-13802-farmer-gouda-aged-5-years.aspx

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:03:43 +0000

–Comparing that stuff to “real” Gouda is sort of like comparing “American Process Cheese Product” to “Cheddar”.–

I would never! Cheddar is gross.

By: paperboy

paperboy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:24:05 +0000

I love talking food jokes.

By: Jeff Lichtman

Jeff Lichtman — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:14:56 +0000

It’s edam that’s typically coated with red wax. Some goudas have a red wax coating, but most of them don’t.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:00:43 +0000

Ate some Irish cheddar with Guinness today. It was coated in, of course, green wax.

By: mitch4

mitch4 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:55:44 +0000

At one time I was snacking regularly on those minis, even after retiring for the evening. For later disposal I collected the wax wrappers (some red some yellow) on my bedside table, and started accumulating the wax into one big lump.

After my habits had moved on to other snacks, I took the wax in to my work. At that time we had a supervisor who was fond of cliche phrases like “at the end of the day..”. I kept waiting for “the whole ball of wax” to emerge at a meeting so that I could plump the actual ball of wax on the table. Never happened though.