Kamil Perry
Cheddar cheese is one of the most popular cheeses in the world, but why is it orange? The answer lies in its historical roots. Cheddar cheese, in its natural state, is white or yellowish in colour. However, several centuries ago in England, particularly in the 17th century, cows that grazed on grass containing high levels of beta-carotene produced milk with an orange-yellow tone, which resulted in cheese with a similar hue. This colour came to be associated with high-quality, full-fat cheese, leading to the addition of colourings like saffron, marigold, carrot juice, and annatto to lower-quality cheese to make it appear more desirable. Thus, the tradition of colouring cheese was born, and it has persisted to the present day, with most people now expecting cheddar cheese to be orange.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for orange colour | The orange colour is derived from beta-carotene in the grass eaten by cows, which was a sign of high-quality cheese. |
| Cow breeds | Jersey and Guernsey cows' milk tends to be richer in beta-carotene, giving it an orange-yellow tone. |
| Seasonality | Cows' milk is higher in beta-carotene in the spring and summer when they graze on grass, and lower in the fall and winter when they are fed other foods. |
| Historical practices | In the 17th century, English cheesemakers added colour to their cheese to make it look higher quality. |
| Fraud | Some cheesemakers used carrot juice, saffron, marigold, or annatto seeds to dye their cheese and pass it off as higher quality. |
| Regional differences | Cheesemakers in the US, especially in the Northeast, tend to dye their cheese orange, while those in New England and the UK do not. |
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What You'll Learn
The natural colour of cheddar cheese is white or yellow
Several sources indicate that the colour of cheddar cheese is white or yellow. This is because the milk used to make cheese is white. However, the natural colour of cheese can vary based on the diet of the cows producing the milk. For example, cows that feed on grass containing high levels of beta-carotene will produce milk with a higher beta-carotene content, resulting in a yellow or orange tone. Beta-carotene is a pigment found in fruits and vegetables, especially carrots, which gives them their orange colour.
Breeds of cows such as Jersey and Guernsey, which are often used for milk production, tend to produce milk with a richer, more orange-yellow tone due to the beta-carotene content in the grass they consume. As a result, cheddar cheese made from their milk will have a more yellowish or orange hue. This was particularly true in the late spring and early summer when cows grazed on pastures with grass containing higher levels of beta-carotene.
Historically, the orange colour of cheddar cheese was also associated with high-quality, full-fat cheese. In the 17th century, English cheesemakers would add colourings to their cheese to make it appear more yellowish or orange, which was considered a mark of quality. This practice of “cheese fraud” carried over to the United States, where cheesemakers in states such as Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York have a long history of colouring their cheese. However, it is worth noting that the tradition of colouring cheese did not catch on in all regions, such as New England dairy farms, where naturally white cheddar cheese is still common.
Today, most cheesemakers no longer use colourings like marigold or carrot juice. Instead, they use annatto, a food colouring made from the achiote tree, to give cheddar its distinctive orange hue. This colouring is added to standardise the appearance of cheese and meet consumer expectations, as most people associate cheddar cheese with an orange colour.
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Beta-carotene in cow diets can turn milk orange
The colour of cheese is directly linked to the diet of the cows that produce the milk. In the 17th century, cows fed on grass containing high levels of beta-carotene, a pigment found in fruits and vegetables, produced milk with an orange hue. This milk, in turn, produced cheese with an orange tint. Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid, a family of natural pigments synthesized by plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria. The diet consumed by cows strongly influences the composition of the milk they produce, including the carotenoid concentration and profile.
During the spring and summer, when cows grazed pastures, they consumed grass with higher levels of beta-carotene, resulting in orange-tinted milk. In the fall and winter, when cows were fed hay and kept indoors, their milk was whiter due to decreased beta-carotene intake. This variation in colour led cheesemakers to add pigments to create a uniform colour throughout the year.
The practice of dyeing cheese to indicate quality began earlier, in the 13th century. At that time, butter was a luxury good, and golden-hued butter was considered higher quality. Dairymen began dyeing butter with marigold to achieve a consistent colour. As more fat was skimmed from the milk for butter, the remaining milk used for cheese had less fat, so dye was added to disguise this fact. Over time, consumers expected darker-hued cheeses, and by the 18th century, all cheeses were being dyed, regardless of fat content.
In addition to marigold, other natural pigments used to dye cheese include saffron and carrot juice. The addition of these pigments not only influenced the colour but also contributed to the sensory properties of the cheese, enhancing its flavour and appearance. The practice of dyeing cheese to achieve a uniform colour and indicate quality has continued to the present day, with some cheesemakers still adding natural pigments to their cheese.
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Cheese fraud in the 17th century led to the addition of colourings
In the 17th century, English cheesemakers realized that they could increase their profits by skimming off the cream from cow's milk and selling it separately or using it to make butter. However, this resulted in the loss of the natural orange pigment, which is carried in the fatty cream. To compensate for this, cheesemakers began adding colourings such as saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to their cheese. This practice, known as "cheese fraud", allowed them to pass off their low-fat cheese as a high-quality, full-fat product that Londoners expected due to the association between orange cheese and high-quality grass-fed cows.
The addition of colourings to cheese in the 17th century was a result of the cheesemakers' desire to maximize profits and meet consumer expectations. By skimming off the cream, they could sell it at a higher price or use it for butter production, but this left them with low-fat cheese made from white milk. To disguise this, they turned to artificial colourings, a practice that was already common in butter-making.
The natural orange pigment in cheese came from certain breeds of cows, such as Jersey and Guernsey, whose milk tends to be richer in colour due to the beta-carotene in the grass they eat. This pigment was considered a marker of quality, as it indicated that the cows were grass-fed. By adding colourings to their cheese, 17th-century cheesemakers could deceive consumers into believing they were purchasing high-quality, full-fat cheese.
The tradition of colouring cheese then carried over to the United States, particularly in states such as Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York. Cheesemakers in these states continued the practice of adding colourings to achieve a uniform colour in their cheese and to make their products stand out in the market. However, the tradition of colouring cheese did not catch on in New England dairy farms, where there was a disdain for brightly coloured cheese. As a result, naturally white cheddar cheese is still prevalent in regions like Vermont.
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Annatto seeds are now used to make cheese orange
The colour of cheddar cheese is linked to the quality of the milk used to make it. In the case of orange cheddar, the pigment comes from annatto seeds. Annatto is a food colouring made from the achiote tree. It gives cheese its orange hue without altering its flavour.
Cheddar cheese was originally white or yellow in colour, depending on the breed of cow the milk came from. In the 17th century, English cheesemakers produced cheese with a yellow tone thanks to the milk from cows that ate grass packed with beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a pigment found in fruits and vegetables like carrots, which gives them their orange colour.
As beta-carotene-rich grass was only available in the spring and summer, the colour of the cheese varied throughout the year. To maintain a uniform colour, cheesemakers began adding pigments from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice. The orange colour came to be associated with high-quality, full-fat cheese, and the tradition of colouring cheese carried over to the United States.
Today, annatto seeds are commonly used to give cheddar cheese its characteristic orange hue, although some cheesemakers, particularly in the northeastern United States, produce white cheddar cheese. The colour of the cheese does not affect its flavour, but consumers have come to expect cheddar cheese to be orange due to historical practices and marketing.
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White cheddar is also available
While orange cheddar cheese is popular, white cheddar is also available. In fact, in its natural state, cheddar cheese is a white or yellowish colour. The orange hue comes from dyes, originally derived from plants such as marigolds, carrots, and saffron, but now more commonly from annatto, a food colouring made from the achiote tree.
The history of orange cheddar is tied to butter-making and 13th-century England. When dairymen began to use cow's milk instead of sheep's, they skimmed most of the fat from the top to make butter, which was then a luxury good. Butter with a golden hue was considered higher quality, and the same eventually became true of cheese. To get the right look, dairymen started dying butter with things like marigold, and this practice carried over into cheese-making. Over time, consumers began to expect darker-hued cheeses, and by the 18th century, all cheeses were being dyed, regardless of fat content.
The colour orange was also used to signify high-quality cheese made from grass-fed cows. In the 17th century, English cheesemakers produced cheese with a yellow tone thanks to the milk from certain cows. These cows, often Jersey and Guernsey breeds, ate a lot of grass that was packed with beta-carotene, which gave the milk an orange-yellow tone. As a result, cheddar cheese with a yellow hue was seen as a sign of quality. Cheesemakers would use carrot juice or marigold to colour their pale cheese and make it look higher quality.
The tradition of colouring cheese carried over to the U.S., particularly in states like Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York. Cheesemakers wanted to ensure a uniform colour throughout the year, as the colour of cheese changes depending on whether the cows are eating beta-carotene-rich grass in the spring or hay in the winter. However, the tradition of colouring cheese never caught on in New England dairy farms, and to this day, we still see lots of naturally white cheddar cheese from places such as Vermont.
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Frequently asked questions
In its natural state, cheddar cheese is white or yellowish in colour. The orange pigment comes from beta-carotene, which is found in the grass that cows eat. Beta-carotene is a pigment that is also found in fruits and vegetables like carrots. The cows' diet of fresh grass in the spring and early summer results in milk with higher levels of beta-carotene, which gives the cheese its orange hue.
Cows are pasture-fed in the spring and early summer when there is an abundance of fresh grass available for them to eat. In the fall and winter, when cows are kept indoors, they are fed hay, which results in milk with lower beta-carotene levels and a whiter colour.
In the 17th century, English cheesemakers produced cheese with a yellow tone thanks to the milk from certain cows, such as Jersey and Guernsey breeds. The yellow hue was seen as a sign of quality, so some cheesemakers began adding colour to their cheese to make it look higher quality. Over time, consumers expected darker-hued cheeses, and the tradition of colouring cheese carried over to the United States.
In the past, cheesemakers used saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to colour their cheese. Today, most cheesemakers use annatto, a food colouring made from the achiote tree, to give cheddar its orange hue.
