Bushra Griffith
Cheddar cheese is one of America's favorite cheeses, and people have strong preferences for white or orange cheddar. The color of cheddar cheese varies from white to deep, dark orange. The color of the cheese depends on the diet of the cows, with grass-rich diets creating a yellow tint in the milk, resulting in yellow cheese. Manufacturers can also add annatto, a natural food coloring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree, to create a rich orange hue.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Natural Colour | Light, creamy yellow |
| Other Colours | White, orange |
| Colouring Agent | Annatto seeds, paprika |
| Colour Significance | Orange was a signifier of high-quality cheese |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Why is some cheddar white?
Cheddar is a type of cheese that comes in a variety of colours, ranging from bright white to deep, dark orange. The colour of cheddar cheese primarily depends on the diet of the cows from which the milk is sourced. When cows consume a significant amount of grass, which is rich in beta-carotene, their milk acquires a yellowish tint due to the orange-hued plant pigment. This, in turn, results in a yellowish or orange cheese.
However, the colour of cheddar cheese can also be influenced by the addition of dyes or colourants. In the past, cheese lovers preferred cheese with a deeper yellow colour, as it was associated with higher quality and better flavour. To meet this demand, some cheesemakers added pigment from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to their cheese, giving it a more yellowish or orange appearance.
Today, the colour of cheddar cheese is often influenced by the addition of annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree. Annatto gives cheddar cheese a rich orange hue and has been used for this purpose for more than 200 years. The use of annatto allows cheesemakers to achieve a uniform colour throughout the year, as the colour of cows' milk can vary depending on their diet.
White cheddar cheese, on the other hand, has not had any colour added to it. The natural colour of cheddar cheese is a light, creamy yellow, and the depth of colour can vary depending on the diet of the cows and the specific cheesemaking process. White cheddar may be produced from cows that consume less grass, resulting in milk with lower beta-carotene levels, or it may be made from goat's milk, which naturally produces a very bright white cheese due to the way goats process beta-carotene.
Cheddar Cheese: Vegetarian-Friendly or Not?
You may want to see also
Why is some cheddar orange?
Cheddar cheese is one of the most popular cheeses, with around 90% of all cheese sold in the United States being cheddar. But what gives some cheddar its distinctive orange hue?
Firstly, it's important to note that cheddar is naturally a light, creamy yellow colour, and not bright orange. This yellow colour comes from the beta-carotene in the milk used to make the cheese. Beta-carotene is the same pigment that gives carrots their orange colour, and cows that graze on grass produce milk with higher levels of beta-carotene, resulting in a deeper yellow cheese.
However, some cheddar cheese is made even more yellow or orange through the addition of annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree. Annatto has been used to dye cheese for over 200 years and gives cheddar a rich orange hue. It is added to standardise the colour of cheese, removing the visible markers of seasonal variation in milk supply. Annatto is flavourless and used in small quantities, so it does not affect the taste of the cheese.
In the past, the orange colour of cheese was a signifier of high-quality, grass-fed cow's milk cheese. This led some producers of lower-quality cheese to add extra pigment from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to their cheese to make it appear higher quality.
Today, the colour of cheddar cheese is largely a matter of preference, with some people preferring the traditional white cheddar, and others opting for the brighter orange variety.
Cheddar Cheese: Natural or Artificial?
You may want to see also
What is annatto?
Annatto is a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree (Bixa orellana). The tree is native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil. Annatto seeds are ground into a red powder or paste and used to colour foods, giving them a yellow to red-orange hue. It has been used as a food colouring for over 200 years and is commonly added to cheese, butter, margarine, custards, cakes, and other industrialised food products.
Annatto has been used for centuries in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and other regions previously colonised by Spain and Portugal. In addition to its use as a colouring agent, annatto is also valued for its flavour and aroma, described as slightly nutty, sweet, and peppery. It is used in various traditional dishes, such as cochinita pibil in Mexico, hallacas and huevos pericos in Venezuela, and pasteles in Puerto Rico.
The colour of annatto comes from carotenoid pigments, mainly bixin and norbixin, found in the reddish waxy coating of the seeds. Annatto is considered a natural alternative to synthetic food colouring compounds and is of commercial value in the United States, as it is exempt from certification by the Food and Drug Administration.
Annatto has also been traditionally used for purposes beyond food colouring, including ritual and decorative body painting, sunscreen, insect repellent, and medical treatments. It has been linked to potential health benefits, such as reduced inflammation, improved eye and heart health, and anticancer properties due to its high content of carotenoids and other plant-based compounds with antioxidant properties. However, more research is needed to fully understand the safety and effectiveness of annatto for medicinal purposes.
Cheddar vs American Cheese: Which is Healthier?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Does colour affect flavour?
Colour is known to impact our perception of food. We evaluate foods based on their colour, from checking if meat is still red to determining if an avocado is ripe by its dark green skin colour. Colour can also override what our other senses are telling us, causing us to taste flavours that aren't present or accept and reject foods based on their shade.
The colour of cheddar cheese, for example, is often a light, creamy yellow, but it can also be white or bright orange. The orange colour comes from annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree, which has been used to dye cheese for over 200 years. While some people have a preference for orange or white cheddar, the small amount of annatto needed to create the orange colour has little effect on the cheese's taste or nutritional value.
The impact of colour on flavour perception has been studied extensively, and it has been found that colour can indeed affect how we perceive the flavour of food. For example, foods with a bright red colour can increase perceptions of sweetness and decrease perceptions of bitterness, while unexpected colours like blue could cause some people to lose their appetite.
In one study, participants were asked to evaluate the flavour of chicken bouillon and chocolate pudding samples with no colour added, the normal level of food colouring, or twice the normal level of colour. The results showed that younger adults (20-35 years old) were more influenced by the presence of food colouring than older adults (60-90 years old). The younger group's judgment of the flavour intensity of the chicken bouillon was influenced by the amount of colouring added.
In another study, participants were asked to identify the acceptability of the flavour of 12 cake samples with different colour and flavour levels under white fluorescent lighting or colour-masking red lighting. The results showed that both the acceptability of flavour and perceived flavour intensity were significantly affected by the colour level, with brighter cakes being rated as more intense in flavour. However, these effects were not observed when participants tasted the cakes under colour-masking conditions.
Overall, it is clear that colour can indeed affect our perception of flavour, and food manufacturers can use this knowledge to gain insight into consumer expectations and the importance of creating and monitoring the colour of their products.
Swiss vs Cheddar: Which Cheese Has More Salt?
You may want to see also
Does colour affect quality?
The colour of cheddar cheese can vary from white to a deep, dark orange. Naturally, cheddar is a light, creamy yellow, but the colour of the cheese can be altered by adding annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree.
So, does colour affect quality? In the past, orange cheddar was a signifier of high-quality cheese made from grass-fed cows, as the beta-carotene in the grass gave the cheese an orange hue. This drove shopping preferences for cheddars with a certain appearance, and cheesemakers sought to reduce the visible markers of seasonal variation by adding annatto. However, nowadays, the colour of milk varies less between seasons due to modern dairy practices.
While some people have a preference for orange or white cheddar, the small amount of annatto needed to create the orange colour has little effect on the cheese's taste or nutritional value. The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin state that "the history of orange cheddar is legen-dairy, [...] in the olden days of cheesemaking, milk varied greatly with the seasons. For example, summer milk might appear more golden-hued because of all the fresh forage cows enjoyed during the season."
When it comes to selecting a cheddar cheese, the colour will not tell you much about the flavour. Instead, the age of the cheese is a more important factor. Younger cheese is sweeter, milder, and softer, while older cheese is harder, more acidic, and more piquant.
Sharp Cheddar Substitutes: Alternative Cheeses to Try
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Cheddar cheese comes in a variety of colors, from bright white to deep, dark orange, and every shade in between.
The color of cheddar cheese depends on the diet of the cows whose milk is used to make the cheese. When cows eat a lot of grass, which is rich in the orange-hued plant pigment beta carotene, their milk becomes tinted yellow, resulting in yellowish cheese.
No, the color of cheddar cheese does not affect its flavor. While early preferences for cheddar cheese were driven by its color, with yellow cheddar being considered superior to white cheddar, modern cheese lovers have a variety of preferences, and the color of the cheese is not indicative of its flavor.
Cheesemakers use annatto, a natural food coloring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree, to achieve the orange color in cheddar cheese.
