Randy Chandler
Cheddar cheese is one of the most popular types of cheese in the United States. It was first made in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England, in the 12th century. The first recorded mention of cheddar cheese was in 1107, when King Henry II purchased more than 10,000 pounds of it, declaring it the best cheese in Britain. In the mid-19th century, cheddar became the most widely produced cheese in the US, and it remained so for 150 years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First recorded | 12th century |
| Origin | Cheddar, Somerset, England |
| First purchaser | King Henry II |
| Year of first purchase | 1107 |
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What You'll Learn
- Cheddar cheese was first made in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England in the 12th century
- The first recorded cheese from Cheddar dates back to the 12th century
- Cheddar cheese was first created by accident when a milkmaid forgot about a pail of milk
- Cheddar cheese became popular after English nobles got word of it and it became a necessity at many royal banquets
- Cheddar cheese became the most widely produced cheese in the US in the mid-19th century
Cheddar cheese was first made in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England in the 12th century
The cheese gets its name from this village, as historically, cheeses were named for their place of origin rather than their method of production. The caves in Cheddar Gorge, on the edge of the village, provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese.
Cheddar quickly became popular, and by 1107, King Henry II had purchased more than 10,000 pounds of the cheese, declaring it the best in Britain. In the mid-19th century, cheddar became the most widely produced cheese in the US, and it remained so for 150 years. This was due to the industrial revolution, which brought about innovations in the method of production, as well as the work of Joseph Harding, who has been dubbed the "father of cheddar". Harding improved the cheese mill and introduced new equipment to the process, including his "revolving breaker" for curd cutting.
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The first recorded cheese from Cheddar dates back to the 12th century
In fact, nobody had tasted this cheese until the 12th century. However, it is known that King Henry II purchased more than 10,000 pounds of cheddar in 1107, declaring it the best cheese in Britain.
In the mid-19th century, cheddar became the most widely produced cheese in the US, and so it remained for 150 years. This was a time of modernisation in both the US and the UK. In England, Joseph Harding—dubbed by many as the “father of cheddar cheese”—applied science to come up with reliable techniques for crafting cheddar. He used a curd scalding method to obtain the desired fine texture and is believed to have improved the cheese mill, which breaks up curds into tiny pieces (a key step in making cheddar).
At its essence, cheesemaking is a means for extending the life of highly perishable milk protein. This is central to understanding cheddar’s rise to prominence, because the innovations in its method of production coincided with the industrial revolution.
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Cheddar cheese was first created by accident when a milkmaid forgot about a pail of milk
Cheddar cheese gets its name from the village of Cheddar, which is located in Somerset, southwest England. The caves in Cheddar Gorge provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese. In the 19th century, cheddar production was modernised and standardised by Joseph Harding, who has been dubbed the "father of cheddar". Harding introduced new equipment to the process, including a "revolving breaker" for curd cutting, which saved a lot of manual effort.
At its essence, cheesemaking is a means of extending the life of highly perishable milk protein. This is key to understanding cheddar's rise to prominence, as innovations in its method of production coincided with the industrial revolution. In the mid-19th century, cheddar became the most widely produced cheese in the US, and it remained so for 150 years.
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Cheddar cheese became popular after English nobles got word of it and it became a necessity at many royal banquets
Cheddar cheese was first made in the 12th century in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. The cheese was named for its origin, rather than its method of production. It was popularised after English nobles got word of it and it became a necessity at many royal banquets. In fact, King Henry II purchased more than 10,000 pounds of cheddar in 1107, declaring it the best cheese in Britain.
In the mid-19th century, cheddar became the most widely produced cheese in the US, and so it remained for 150 years. This was due to the industrial revolution and the innovations in its method of production. In England, Joseph Harding, dubbed the 'father of cheddar cheese', applied science to come up with reliable techniques for crafting cheddar. He used a curd scalding method to obtain the desired fine texture for cheddar and improved the cheese mill, which breaks up curds into tiny pieces.
Cheddar Gorge, on the edge of the village of Cheddar, contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese. Cheddar traditionally had to be made within 30 miles of Wells Cathedral.
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Cheddar cheese became the most widely produced cheese in the US in the mid-19th century
In the US, the world's first cheese factory opened in upstate New York in 1851, specialising in cheddar. This coincided with the industrial revolution, which was central to understanding cheddar's rise to prominence. Innovations in its method of production allowed cheesemakers to extend the life of highly perishable milk protein.
Cheddar cheese was first created in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, southwest England. The first recorded cheese from Cheddar dates back to the 12th century, when it was purchased by King Henry II, who declared it the best cheese in Britain. It is said that a milkmaid once forgot about a pail of milk and returned to find a pail of cheddar, although this origin story is not confirmed.
It wasn't until the mid-19th century, when producers in England, Canada, and the United States began collecting and comparing their best cheesemaking practices, that cheddar became codified.
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Frequently asked questions
The first recorded cheddar cheese dates back to the 12th century.
Cheddar cheese was first made in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England.
Joseph Harding is known as the 'father of cheddar cheese' due to his technical innovations, promotion of dairy hygiene, and dissemination of modern cheese-making techniques.
Cheddar cheese became popular in the mid-19th century, when it became the most widely produced cheese in the US.
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