
Black Jack cheese is a variety of Monterey Jack, a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is flavoured with chilli peppers and herbs. Monterey Jack originates from Monterey, California, where it was first made by Mexican Franciscan friars in the 1700s. Today, it is mainly produced in California and Wisconsin.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Monterey Jack |
| Alternative names | Jack, Colby-Jack, Co-jack, Cojack |
| Type of cheese | Californian white, semi-hard |
| Milk | Cow's milk |
| Flavour | Mild, slightly sweet |
| Origin | Monterey, California |
| History | Made by 18th-century Franciscan friars of Monterey, Alta California; commercialised by California land speculator and businessman David Jacks |
| Related cheeses | Colby-Jack, Pepper Jack, Dry Jack, Colby, Cheddar |
| Production | Mainly produced in Wisconsin and California |
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What You'll Learn

Monterey Jack is made in California
Monterey Jack, sometimes shortened to Jack, is a Californian white, semi-hard cheese made using cow's milk. It has a mild flavour and slight sweetness. It originates in Monterey, California, and was first made by 18th-century Franciscan friars. California land speculator and businessman David Jacks sold the cheese commercially, and it came to be known eponymously as "Jacks' Cheese" and eventually "Monterey Jack".
Monterey Jack is frequently marbled with Colby to produce Colby-Jack, or with yellow cheddar to produce cheddar-Jack. Colby-Jack is an American marble cheese made from Colby and Monterey Jack. It is classified as semi-hard in texture and is mild due to its two-week ageing process. It is generally sold in a full-moon or half-moon shape when it is young. Colby-Jack cheese is mainly produced in the states of Wisconsin and California. It is used in various dishes or as a topping to be melted. These dishes include burgers, pasta bakes, macaroni and cheese, casseroles and so on. It is predominantly used in the United States, and is not readily available internationally.
Pepper Jack is a version of Monterey Jack flavoured with chilli peppers and herbs. Dry Jack is a harder cheese with a longer ageing time.
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It is a semi-hard cheese made with cow's milk
Black Jack cheese is a semi-hard cheese made with cow's milk. It is a Californian white cheese with a mild flavour and slight sweetness. It originates from Monterey, on the Central Coast of California, and was first made by 18th-century Franciscan friars. It is also known as 'Monterey Jack' or simply 'Jack'.
Black Jack cheese is often marbled with Colby to make Colby-Jack, or with yellow cheddar to make cheddar-Jack. Pepper Jack is a version flavoured with chilli peppers and herbs, while Dry Jack is a harder cheese with a longer ageing time.
Colby-Jack is an American marble cheese made from Colby and Monterey Jack. It is classified as semi-hard in texture and is mild due to its two-week ageing process. It is generally sold in a full-moon or half-moon shape when it is young. The flavour of Colby-Jack is mild to mellow. It is mainly produced in Wisconsin and California and is used in dishes such as burgers, pasta bakes, macaroni and cheese, and casseroles.
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It is sometimes flavoured with chilli peppers and herbs to make Pepper Jack
Black Jack cheese, also known as Monterey Jack, is a Californian white, semi-hard cheese made using cow's milk. It has a mild flavour and slight sweetness. It originates from Monterey, on the Central Coast of California, and was first made by 18th-century Franciscan friars. It is sometimes flavoured with chilli peppers and herbs to make Pepper Jack.
Monterey Jack is frequently marbled with Colby to produce Colby-Jack, or with yellow cheddar to produce cheddar-Jack. Colby-Jack is an American marble cheese made from Colby and Monterey Jack. It is classified as semi-hard in texture and is mild due to its two-week ageing process. It is generally sold in a full-moon or half-moon shape when it is young. The flavour of Colby-Jack is mild to mellow.
Colby-Jack cheese was first made in the same place as Colby cheese, in Colby, Wisconsin, by Joseph F. Steinwand in 1885. It was not made on a large scale until the 20th century, when it moved out of Wisconsin to larger areas of America.
Dry Jack is a harder cheese with a longer ageing time.
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It is often mixed with Colby to make Colby-Jack
Black Jack cheese, also known as Monterey Jack, is a Californian white, semi-hard cheese made using cow's milk. It is often mixed with Colby to make Colby-Jack, a semi-hard American marble cheese. The name Colby-Jack comes from the combination of the two kinds of cheese it is made from. It is mainly produced in Wisconsin and California and is used in dishes such as burgers, pasta bakes, macaroni and cheese, and casseroles.
Colby-Jack was first made in Wisconsin, where Colby cheese was originally produced. It was not made on a large scale until the 20th century when it moved out of Wisconsin to larger areas of America. Before this, a small, wooden building in Wisconsin made only 57 kg (126 lb) of cheese each day. At this time, Colby-Jack was pressed into a 5.8 kg (13 lb) long-horn shape and dipped in wax.
Monterey Jack, on the other hand, originated in Monterey, California, and was made by Mexican Franciscan Friars during the 1700s. In its earliest form, it was made by 18th-century Franciscan friars of Monterey, Alta California. California land speculator and businessman David Jacks sold the cheese commercially, and it came to be known as "Jacks' Cheese" and eventually "Monterey Jack".
Today, Colby-Jack is predominantly used in the United States and is not readily available internationally. It has a mild to mellow flavour due to its two-week aging process.
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It is also mixed with yellow cheddar to make cheddar-Jack
Black Jack cheese is a Californian white, semi-hard cheese made using cow's milk, with a mild flavour and slight sweetness. It originates in Monterey, on the Central Coast of California, and was first made by 18th-century Franciscan friars. It is also known as Monterey Jack, or simply Jack.
Jack cheese is frequently mixed with other types of cheese. For example, it is often marbled with Colby to make Colby-Jack, a semi-hard cheese with a mild to mellow flavour. It is also mixed with yellow cheddar to make cheddar-Jack. This involves marbling the two kinds of cheese together. Cheddar-Jack is predominantly used in the United States and is not readily available internationally.
The process of marbling Jack with other cheeses was first introduced in Wisconsin, the same place Colby cheese was made on its own. It was not made on a large scale until the 20th century, when the cheese became more popular and moved out of Wisconsin to larger areas of America.
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Frequently asked questions
Black Jack cheese is made in California.
Black Jack cheese is made from cow's milk.
Black Jack cheese is semi-hard in texture.

























