One of the great tragedies in the history of cheese is that the word Cheddar was never controlled by the government. While all of the other Kings of Cheese (Roquefort, Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago Allevo, Manchego, etc) are controlled by laws to ensure high quality and prevent imitations produced in other nations, Cheddar was left unguarded, and many producers run its name through the mud.
Fortunately, Keen's, Montgomery's and Westcombe, three farms that have been producing Cheddar the old-fashioned way, convened and established the first British Slow Food Presidium: Artisan Somerset Cheddar. It lists over twenty rules that dictate how true Cheddar is to be made, and the most important of them are as follows: The Cheddar must be made by hand, from the milk of cattle raised on the farm, and that those cattle feed on grasses and grains from the farm. The milk is to be unpasteurized, and once the curds are set, they are smeared in lard and bound in cloth, which allows the cheese to breathe, and therefore mature quicker and absorb the essence of terroir.
While not blisteringly sharp like most American Cheddars, Artisan Somerset Cheddar is bigger and well-rounded in flavor, and boasts a long, lingering finish. This is truly the Cheddar of three centuries ago, and is to be respected as such.
