Overview
Cheddar is both a method and, in one narrow case, a protected farmhouse name. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar PDO sits in Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. Defra’s specification: made by hand, using cheddaring, sold only after at least nine months. Fat in dry matter at least 48%. Moisture at most 39%. The grocery brick labeled “cheddar” is usually outside that fence.
Cheddaring
After cutting, the curd is scalded between 39.4°C and 41°C. Slabs are stacked and turned so they knit and acidify together. That stacking is the verb. Cloth and lard then let the wheel dry slowly without growing a bloomy rind. Flavor builds in the paste. Old clothbound pieces can show crystals and a more savory, sometimes faintly farmyard note — description, not a defect code.
Sources
Legal ages, breeds, and cave rules are checked against official specifications or government pages. Sensory lines are editorial description, not lab results.
- GOV.UK — West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese PDO · Defra PDO for Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall; UK GI register
- Product specification — West Country Farmhouse Cheddar PDO · Defra Matured at least 9 months; Minimum 48% fat in dry matter; Maximum 39% moisture