I wanted to share another holiday with you which falls on February 13th, National Cheddar Day #Nationalcheddarday. I don’t know about you but Cheddar and American Sliced Cheese are my favorite Cheese. I wouldn’t mind having a Bacon Cheeseburger with Chedder Cheese and Grilled Onions for dinner.
That will not happen because I have Puffed Tacos from dinner last night I need to finish at lunch. Then for dinner I have a American Club Sandwich from Subway which is Black Forrest Ham, Oven Roasted Turkey, Bacon and Grated Cheese which is Cheddar and Mozzarella. Would you like to have half of my sandwich?
National Cheddar Day is celebrated annually on February 13. National Cheddar Day was created by the Tillamook County Creamery Cooperation, National Cheddar Cheese Day celebrates the Cheese type called Cheddar, Cheddar Cheese hails from the actual city of Cheddar in Somerset, South England.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CHEDDAR DAY
Cheddar Cheese accounts for more than a third of all the Cheese sold in the United States. Chedder Cheese is a top choice in most Cheese selections. Chedder Cheese is unique for the peculiar way it’s made and that this Cheese hails from England. Wouldn’t you like to take a trip to England to try the Cheese out?
Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village, Cheddar in Somerset, England, is home to the creation of Cheddar Cheese. The Gorge has several caves that provide the perfect humidity and steady temperature for maturing the Cheese. Cheddar Cheese was first bought by the royal family and is said to have been brought to Britain by the Romans from the Cantal region of France.
The 19th-Century father of Cheddar Cheese, Joseph Harding, was central to the modernization and standardization of Cheddar Cheese. Joseph Harding encouraged dairy hygiene and modern Cheese-making techniques. The ‘Joseph Harding method’ was the first Cheddar production method based upon scientific principles.
The process called cheddaring is what separates Cheddar Cheese from others. Cheddaring is an additional step in the production of Cheddar Cheese which is done after heating. The curd is kneaded with Salt, cut into cubes to drain the Whey, and then stacked and turned. The result you get from this step is a denser, crumbly texture.
In 1894, renowned Cheesemaker Peter McIntosh brought his Cheese-making skills to Tillamook County, Oregon, and in due time was dubbed the Cheese King of the Coast. The local farmers have since formed the farmer-owned cooperative we know today as the Tillamook County Creamery Association. In 2019, the association founded National Cheddar Day on February 13. The purpose of National Cheddar Day was to celebrate Tillamook’s 110th birthday and share a passion for Cheddar with Cheese-lovers nationwide.
NATIONAL CHEDDAR DAY ACTIVITIES
- There are many meals containing Cheddar Cheese we can now enjoy and today is the day to have Cheddar Cheese on a Hamburger, or a Grilled Cheese, or a bowl of Homemade Mac and Cheese. Or any meal you can create that uses Cheddar Cheese.
- Today would be the perfect time to gather your friends and family for a road trip. Go to your local-renowned Cheesemaker to watch in person how Cheddar Cheese is made. If you are in Tillamook County, you could visit the inventors of Cheddar Cheese themselves and see how they make Cheddar.
FACTS ABOUT CHEDDAR CHEESE
- Mac and Cheese is the most popular recipe that uses Cheddar Cheese.
- Queen Victoria was given a giant wheel of Cheddar Cheese weighing 992 pounds as a wedding gift.
- The second most popular Cheese in America is Cheddar Cheese.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CHEDDAR DAY
- If you are a lover of Cheese, what’s not to love about National Cheddar Day?
- Today provides the perfect opportunity to sharpen our cooking skills by preparing dishes that use Cheddar Cheese in there recipes.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
