Patrick Oconnell
Cheddar cheese is a beloved dairy product that has become a staple in many dishes worldwide. While its natural color is a light, creamy yellow, consumers are often perplexed by the bright orange hue of American Cheddar. The origin of this tradition can be traced back to 17th-century England, where cheesemakers added colorings like saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to their product. This fraudulent practice aimed to deceive consumers into believing they were purchasing high-quality, full-fat cheese made from grass-fed cows' milk, which naturally has a yellowish-orange tint due to beta-carotene in the cows' diet. Over time, the color orange became synonymous with cheese, and American cheesemakers continued this tradition, leading to the distinctively orange American Cheddar we know today.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for the orange color | In the 17th century, cheddar cheese was produced from cows whose grass diet was high in beta-carotene, which lent an orange pigment to their milk. That hue came to be a marker of high-quality cheese. |
| Over time, cheesemakers began to add coloring from saffron, marigold, carrot juice, and later annatto, to mask the white color of low-fat cheese and pass it off as high-quality cheese. | |
| Today, annatto, a food coloring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, is commonly used to give cheddar its orange color. | |
| Modern variations | In modern times, cheesemakers in different regions of the US produce white cheddar cheese, which has not had color added. |
| Wisconsin has developed an original kind of blue-veined Cheddar, which is inoculated with the same fungus as blue cheese and has a more robust flavor. | |
| Effect on flavor | The addition of annatto or other coloring agents has little to no effect on the flavor or nutritional value of the cheese. |
| Effect on consumer perception | American consumers have come to expect cheddar cheese to be orange and associate the color with a rich flavor. |
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What You'll Learn
Orange cheddar is dyed, white cheddar is not
The colour of cheddar cheese has a long and interesting history. In the 17th century, English cheesemakers began adding colouring to their cheese to indicate higher quality. The cheese was produced from cows fed on grass rich in beta-carotene, which gave the cheese an orange pigment. This hue became a marker of high-quality cheese, so producers of lower-fat cheese started to add pigments from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to mimic the colour.
Over time, the colour orange became associated with cheese, and cheesemakers wanted a uniform colour throughout the year, as the colour of the cheese changed depending on the cows' diet. This tradition of colouring cheese carried over to the United States, particularly in states like Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and New York. Cheesemakers in these states wanted to distinguish their product from the typically white cheese made in New England and other states.
Today, orange cheddar cheese is still dyed, although the colouring agent has changed. Annatto, a food colouring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, is commonly used to give cheddar its orange hue. This colouring agent does not affect the flavour or texture of the cheese. The colour of cheddar cheese is now mostly a matter of expectation, as consumers are used to seeing orange cheese.
On the other hand, white cheddar cheese is not dyed. It is the natural colour of cheese made from the milk of cows that have not been fed grass or other foods high in beta-carotene. White cheddar cheese is still widely produced, particularly in the northeastern United States and places like Vermont. The lack of dye does not affect the flavour or texture of the cheese, and white cheddar has the same taste and texture as its orange counterpart.
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In the 17th century, orange was a marker of high-quality cheese
The colour orange came to signify high-quality cheese made from grass-fed cows, as beta-carotene in the cows' diets would lend an orange pigment to their milk. This led to consumers associating the orange colour with high-quality, rich-flavoured cheese. The tradition of colouring cheese orange then carried over to the United States, particularly in states such as Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York. Cheesemakers in these states added colour to their cheese to ensure a uniform colour throughout the year, as the colour of the cheese varied depending on the cows' diet.
Today, most cheesemakers have moved away from using colourants like saffron, marigold, and carrot juice. Instead, annatto, a food colouring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, is commonly used to give cheese its characteristic orange hue. This practice is still prevalent in the United States, with some cheesemakers choosing to produce white cheddar cheese instead. The colour of the cheese does not affect its flavour or nutritional value, and consumers are advised to choose based on their preferred flavour and texture.
The colour of cheese has evolved over time, and modern dairy practices have reduced the seasonal variation in milk colour. Additionally, the development of new technologies in cheesemaking, such as pasteurization, has made it more difficult for untrained cheese tasters to detect differences in flavour based on the cows' diet. Nevertheless, the tradition of colouring cheese orange has persisted, and consumers continue to associate the colour with high-quality, flavourful cheese.
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Colouring cheese originated in England and carried over to the US
In the 17th century, English cheesemakers began colouring their cheese to indicate quality. The orange hue was a result of beta-carotene in cows' grass diets, which gave their milk a distinct colour. This colour became associated with high-quality, grass-fed cows, so cheesemakers of lower-quality cheese added pigments from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to mimic the hue. This practice was deemed fraudulent, but it carried over to the US, particularly in states like Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
The tradition of colouring cheese was adopted by American cheesemakers for a few reasons. Firstly, they wanted to ensure a uniform colour throughout the year, as the colour of cheese varied depending on the cows' diet. By adding colouring, they could maintain a consistent appearance. Additionally, the orange colour helped distinguish their product from the white cheese typically produced in New England and New York.
Over time, the colour orange became strongly associated with cheese in the US. This association influenced the colour of processed cheese products, such as cheese snacks and individually wrapped cheese slices. The specific type of colouring used has evolved as well. While saffron, marigold, and carrot juice were initially used, cheesemakers now primarily use annatto, a food colouring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree, to achieve the desired orange shade.
It's worth noting that the colouring of cheese is not just an American practice. In England, where the tradition originated, some cheesemakers still produce orange cheese, particularly in the summer when cows' diets are rich in beta-carotene. However, there has been a resurgence of white cheddar production, particularly in places like Vermont, due to the artisanal food movement's focus on grass-fed cows and natural ingredients.
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Modern orange cheddar is coloured with annatto, a food colouring
The colour of cheddar cheese has been manipulated for centuries. In the 17th century, English cheesemakers added saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to their cheese to mimic the orange pigment of beta-carotene-rich milk from grass-fed cows. This pigment became a marker of high-quality cheese.
Today, cheesemakers still add colouring to cheddar, but the ingredient of choice is annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree. This tree is native to tropical regions of the Americas and is used as both a colouring and a condiment. Annatto is often added to cheddar to create a consistent colour throughout the year, as the natural colour of cows' milk varies depending on the season and their diet.
Annatto is favoured as a colouring agent because it imparts a rich orange hue without noticeably affecting the flavour or texture of the cheese. The addition of annatto is purely to meet consumers' expectations of the appearance of cheddar, as modern cheesemaking techniques have largely eliminated any variation in colour due to cows' diets.
While annatto is the primary colouring agent in modern orange cheddar, some producers also use paprika to achieve the desired hue. The use of annatto and other colourings is not limited to cheddar, as companies like Kraft have used artificial dyes in their macaroni and cheese products to achieve the familiar orange colour.
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The colour of cheese changes depending on the diet of the cows
Today, the colour of cheese still changes depending on the diet of the cows. Pasture-fed cows that consume beta-carotene-rich grass in the spring or hay in the winter can produce milk with a tinge of orange beta-carotene. This results in cheese with a more buttery colour in the summer.
To ensure a uniform colour throughout the year, modern cheesemakers often add colouring to their cheese. In the United States, annatto, a food colouring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, is commonly used to give cheddar a rich orange hue. This practice is especially prevalent in states such as Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and New York.
While the colour of cheese can vary depending on the diet of the cows, it is important to note that modern dairy practices have reduced the seasonal variation in milk colour. Additionally, the age of the cheese is now a more significant factor in determining its taste and texture than the colour.
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Frequently asked questions
American cheddar cheese is orange because, in the past, the orange color was a signifier of high-quality cheese made from grass-fed cows. The orange pigment came from beta-carotene in the cows' diet, which gave their milk an orange tint.
The orange color indicated that the cows were fed beta-carotene-rich grass, which was seen as a marker of quality.
Cheesemakers of lower-quality, lower-fat cheese added pigments from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to mimic the orange color.
Cheesemakers in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana adopted this technique to ensure a uniform color throughout the year and to distinguish their product from the white cheese made in New England and New York.
Today, American cheddar cheese is mostly colored with annatto, a food coloring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, and/or paprika.
