Kamil Perry
Red Leicester is a traditional English cheese with a distinctive reddish-orange rind and a powdery mould. It is similar to cheddar but has a moister, crumblier texture and a milder, slightly nutty flavour. The cheese is coloured with annatto, a vegetable dye, which gives it its characteristic hue. Red Leicester matures faster than cheddar and can be sold as young as two months old, although some producers age their cheeses for up to 12 months. It was originally made on farms in Leicestershire, England, with surplus milk from Stilton production.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Firm, dry, crumbly, friable, creamy, moist |
| Taste | Mild, nutty, sweet, mellow, tangy |
| Colour | Red, reddish-orange, deep orange |
| Fat content | 33-34% when fresh |
| Minimum FDM | 48% |
| Age | 2 months to 1 year |
| Type of milk | Cow's milk |
| Manufacturing | Coloured with annatto, a vegetable dye |
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What You'll Learn
Red Leicester is a traditional English cow's milk cheese
Red Leicester is typically aged for 6 to 12 months, although some producers age their cheeses for longer. "Young" Leicesters will be very mild, and it is usually after six months that a Leicester begins to develop a tang and is classified as "old". The cheese matures faster than Cheddar and may be sold as young as two months old. The modern industrial method for ageing is with vacuum packing, while smaller "farmhouse" makers still use the traditional way of maturing it in cloth, which is said to improve flavour development.
The cheese was originally made on farms in Leicestershire, England, with surplus milk once all the desired Stilton had been made. Today, more Red Leicester is made outside of the county than in it. It is named after the city of Leicester, or the ceremonial county it is located in, Leicestershire.
Red Leicester is available year-round and is ideal for cheeseboards. It is also used in recipes such as Red Leicester and caramelised onion tart, and Red Leicester and apple pie.
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It has a distinctive orange colour
Red Leicester cheese, also known as Leicester or Leicestershire cheese, is a traditional English hard cheese made from cow's milk. It has a distinctive orange colour, which comes from the addition of annatto, a vegetable dye. This practice, which is not unique to Red Leicester, originated in the days when a deep colour was believed to denote a cheese made from rich, creamy milk. The beta-carotene in the cows' milk would pick up pigment from the grass, which resulted in the orange hue.
The orange colour of Red Leicester cheese is one of its most defining characteristics. While the cheese is similar to cheddar in terms of its production process, the orange colour sets it apart visually. The orange hue of Red Leicester cheese can range from a reddish-orange rind with a powdery mould to a deeper orange colour near the surface as the cheese ages and dries.
The use of annatto to colour cheese is a long-standing tradition, and it is not unique to Red Leicester. Other cheeses, such as some cheddars, also use annatto to achieve a similar orange hue. However, it is possible to find Red Leicester cheese without annatto, as it is not an essential ingredient in the cheese-making process.
The distinctive orange colour of Red Leicester cheese has become synonymous with the variety, and it is often one of the first things people notice about the cheese. The colour can vary depending on the age of the cheese, with younger cheeses having a lighter orange colour and older cheeses developing a deeper, richer hue.
The orange colour of Red Leicester cheese has also been linked to its flavour and quality. Traditionally, a deep colour in cheese was believed to indicate that it was made from rich, creamy milk. While this may not always be the case today, the orange colour of Red Leicester cheese can still be associated with a certain level of richness and quality.
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It is similar to cheddar but crumbly and moister
Red Leicester is a traditional English hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is similar to cheddar but has a moister and crumbly texture. It has a mild, sweet, and nutty flavour. The cheese gets its distinct orange colour from the addition of annatto, a vegetable dye. The practice of adding annatto is not unique to Red Leicester and originated in the belief that a deep colour denoted cheese made from rich, creamy milk.
Red Leicester matures faster than cheddar and is typically aged for 6 to 12 months. The cheese was originally made on farms in Leicestershire, England, using surplus milk once all the desired Stilton was made. Today, more Red Leicester is made outside of the county than within it.
The traditional method of making Red Leicester involves moulding the cheese into a wheel shape and binding it in cloth and lard. The cheese is then aged in cloth for better flavour development. The traditionally made wheels are fairly firm and dry, with a friable texture and a slightly sweet, mellow flavour that becomes stronger as the cheese matures.
Block-made cheeses, on the other hand, are moister and have a creamy texture. They have a slightly sweet aftertaste and a nuttier flavour. The moisture content of Red Leicester is influenced by the smaller cut and lower scald temperature and cook time during the cheese-making process.
Overall, while Red Leicester is similar to cheddar in terms of production and flavour, its moister and crumblier texture sets it apart, giving it a unique character among English cheeses.
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It has a nutty, sweet and mellow flavour
Red Leicester is a traditional English hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is similar to Cheddar but has a moister, crumbly texture and a milder, nuttier, and sweeter flavour. The cheese gets its distinct orange colour from annatto, a vegetable dye.
The cheese was originally made on farms in Leicestershire, England, with surplus milk once all the Stilton desired was made. Today, more Red Leicester is made outside of the county than in it. The cheese matures faster than Cheddar and may be sold as young as two months old, although traditional producers age their cheeses for longer, anywhere from four to nine months. "Young" Leicesters will be very mild; it is usually after six months that a Leicester begins to develop enough of a tang to be classified as "old".
The cheese has a slightly nutty, sweet, and mellow flavour that becomes stronger as it matures. Traditionally made wheels are fairly firm and dry, with a friable texture. Block-made cheeses are moister, with a slightly sweet aftertaste and a creamy texture.
Neal's Yard Dairy, which sells the Sparkenhoe variety of Red Leicester, describes the cheese as having "nutty, rich, complex flavours, without any aggressive acidity, and a texture that is succulent but chewy". The company also sells a version that has been aged for up to a year, which it describes as having a "dry texture and that super nutty flavour".
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It is matured in cloth for a better flavour
Red Leicester is a traditional English hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is similar to cheddar but has a moister, crumbly texture and a milder, slightly nutty flavour. The cheese gets its distinctive orange colour from the addition of annatto, a vegetable dye.
Red Leicester is matured for anywhere from two months to a year. The traditional method of maturing the cheese involves binding it in cloth and lard, which results in a better flavour development. The cheese was originally made on farms in Leicestershire, England, using surplus milk from Stilton production.
Today, most Red Leicester is made outside of Leicestershire, and the modern industrial method for ageing the cheese involves vacuum packing. However, a few smaller "farmhouse" makers still use the traditional method of maturing the cheese in cloth. This traditional method results in a drier texture and a mellower flavour.
The Sparkenhoe Farm in Leicestershire, run by David and Jo Clarke, is one of the few places that continues to produce Red Leicester in its raw milk, cloth-bound form. They use the milk from their herd of 150 Friesian-Holsteins to make the cheese, following a traditional recipe. The Clarkes' Red Leicester is known for its nutty, rich, complex flavours and succulent but chewy texture.
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Frequently asked questions
Red Leicester is a traditional English hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is used in the same way as cheddar, but it has a moister, crumbly texture and a milder, nutty flavour. It is often used on cheeseboards, in sandwiches, or melted on top of dishes such as lasagne.
Red Leicester is an orange-coloured cheese with a powdery mould on its rind. It is similar to cheddar cheese but has a crumbly texture and a sweeter, nutty taste. It is made with cow's milk and coloured with annatto, a vegetable dye.
Red Leicester cheese differs from cheddar cheese in several ways. Firstly, it has a moister and crumbly texture due to a lower scald temperature and cook time. It also has a milder, slightly nutty flavour and a distinctive orange colour from the annatto dye. Red Leicester matures faster than cheddar and can be sold as young as two months old, whereas cheddar typically needs to be aged for longer.
