I enjoy the taste
of cheese, but I never considered the factors that make one cheese superior to
another. I thought that all cheddar cheeses were the same. I was mistaken. “The
older the cheese, the sharper the flavor,” said the HEB mistress of cheeses.
For the taste test, I decided to test three different types of cheese that are
categorized as milder cheddar, meaning that they haven’t been aged as long. I
tasted HEB HCF mild cheddar, HEB medium cheddar, which was aged a little over three
months, and HEB Longhorn style cheddar. Because I’m not a cheese connoisseur, I
researched other cheese taste tests to determine my criteria. Both Cracker
Barrel and Good Housekeeping state that cheddar should be smooth and uniform in
texture. Most of the winning cheeses on a taste test posted on Yahoo were
described as creamy and moist, without a powdery or chalky texture. Since this
cheese hasn’t been aged as long, it shouldn’t have a sharp bite either.
The mistress of cheeses explained to
me that all cheese is naturally white, but that most cheeses are dyed. All
three cheeses had the same orange color, dyed with annatto coloring. The
Longhorn cheese looked the smoothest, and the medium cheddar crumbled some as I
cut it.
Because cheese is
one of my older brother’s favorite snacks, I recruited him for the taste test.
Between each type of cheese, we each ate a small piece of bread and drank some
water. The first cheese we tasted was the Longhorn Cheddar. To me, the Longhorn
cheese was soft, smooth, creamy, buttery, and moist. It lacked an aftertaste,
though it did leave some residue in my mouth. Caleb described the cheese as
“malleable, squishy, and bright.”
The HCF mild cheddar was not nearly
as buttery as the Longhorn, and the bread that I ate before it actually
overpowered the taste of the cheese. I couldn’t taste much of a difference
between the textures of the HCF and the Longhorn, but I think the Longhorn was
a little creamier, and the HCF left no residue. The HCF left no aftertaste
either. Caleb described the HCF cheese as “just as squishy as the Longhorn, but
almost dusty. The cheese is rather mellow and dry.”
The medium cheddar, which had been
aged three months, had the sharpest flavor. The cheese didn’t bend as much as
the other two, but it crumbled and left residue on my fingers. It had a strong
aftertaste. Caleb said, “The cheese is not creamy at all. It doesn’t flow like
the other two. It has a lingering aftertaste, not unwelcomingly so, but it does
linger.”
I decided that we would rank the
cheeses by flavor and texture. We both agreed that the medium cheddar had the
best flavor, followed by the Longhorn cheddar, and then the HCF. The HCF flavor
wasn’t very memorable at all. Ranking them by texture, Caleb determined that
the HCF cheddar came in first, followed by the medium cheddar, and then the
Longhorn. I actually liked the creaminess of the Longhorn better than that of the
HCF, so in my opinion, the Longhorn cheddar’s texture took first place, with
the HCF’s texture in second and the medium’s texture in third.
I wouldn’t purchase the HCF cheese
again because it lacked flavor, and I would purchase both of the other cheeses,
but they would serve a different purpose. For a sandwich, I’d eat the medium
cheddar, but the Longhorn cheddar might be better in cooking. I’d like to
sample some of the sharper cheeses in the future.
Who knew that three months could
make such a difference in the flavor of cheese?
Here are the links I
used:
Yahoo
Cracker Barrel
Good Housekeeping
I had no idea that cheese is dyed. That just blew my mind. I think that you described the cheeses very well, but maybe you could give a little more explanation of why you are describing it that way. For example, you said that the medium cheddar had the sharpest flavor, but I don't really know what makes a cheese taste "sharp". How did it affect your senses? Also, why do you think one would be better on a sandwich, and one better for cooking?
ReplyDeleteI think that you did a good job on ranking the cheese by texture. I am picky when it comes to eating block cheese and prefer one that is creamy but doesn't leave residue when you eat it. I think that when you are describing the websites that you used for additional research that it would be helpful to introduce why it was that you used the ones that you did. Also,would eating a cracker instead of bread help? What type of bread did you use?
ReplyDeleteGreat job in doing research before your taste test. Of all of us I think you were the only one who actually researched what the food should taste like. (I may be wrong about that.) When reading he paragraph where you graded the cheeses I got lost and had to reread it a couple times to see which cheese was which. Separate paragraphs for each cheese may help but you'll have to test it. Nice pictures of the cheese and a great creative title.
ReplyDeleteIt's super great that you researched the criteria. Knowing what to look for makes a ton of difference, particularly with something like cheese that people can be a wee bit snobby about. I'm not a fancy cheese person, so I appreciate getting the opinion of a more casual cheese lover like me, and you include details that are really informative to me that I think might be taken for granted by some. The links at the end feel a little out of place- I would suggest hyperlinking them in the first paragraph when you mention them. I'm not sure about saying "mistress of cheese." I can tell it's supposed to be playful but mistress doesn't have a nice connotation to me. Otherwise, really liked your description of the cheeses. Super helpful and just feels trustworthy to me in a way I can't fully put into words.
ReplyDeleteAudra, another very creative title! I also appreciated your research. How long were the other two cheeses aged for? How'd you decide to try cheese for your taste test? What brand does your family normally buy? I enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteThough I don't like cheese myself, my mom loves it so I know there is a lot that goes into making each different species of cheese. I appreciated that you provided a concise explanation of this fact. The fact that you also identified how the specific cheese you were tasting should taste in addition your own preference was also awesome. It did contribute some credibility to the rest of your post and I read the passage as though I was listening to an expert as opposed to someone who was just tasting something and giving a novice opinion. What would you say your favorite type of cheese is and which of these brands did you initially expect to like the most?
ReplyDelete