Why is Cheddar Cheese orange?(or not white depending on your location)

[ForensicYOYO]

No seriously why the heck is cheddar cheese orange? Im almost positive milk from cows isn't orange. So why and who decided orange would make cheddar cheese better?

Big question for you is, if you were to decide the color of cheddar cheese today what color would it be?

For me Id make it Blue. Why? Because Blue is awesome.

EDIT: It has come to my attention cheddar is a different color depending on your location, but the question is why is it any different color at all and why cheddar?

 

[lacktheknack]

It's orange so they could tell it apart from other cheeses (ie. mozzarella). I'd leave it as is, myself.

 

[ForensicYOYO]

It's orange so they could tell it from other cheeses (ie. mozzarella). I'd leave it as is, myself.

Why isn't mozzarella orange then?

 

[lacktheknack]

It's orange so they could tell it from other cheeses (ie. mozzarella). I'd leave it as is, myself.

Why isn't mozzarella orange then?

Because when they decided they needed to color a cheese, cheddar happened to get chosen.

Imagine how different everything would be if they chose mozzarella instead.

 

[FalloutJack]

Well, I'm pretty sure I don't know the dynamics of cheese coloration. However, I really can't think of any reason why I should change it either. Go figure.

 

[MellowFellow]

Because chedder cheese is awesome, and orange is an awesome color.
awesome=awesome
It's pretty obvious.

 

[ApeShapeDeity]

No seriously why the heck is cheddar cheese orange? Im almost positive milk from cows isn't orange. So why and who decided orange would make cheddar cheese better?

Big question for you is, if you were to decide the color of cheddar cheese today what color would it be?

For me Id make it Blue. Why? Because Blue is awesome.

Dude. For real. Cheddar ISN'T orange (naturally). That's evil! Whatever they're doing to your cheese, protest!

Plus bule = not food.

 

[Ande66]

The cheddar I buy and eat is yellow like most other cheeses... But hey, then again I'm Norwegian, and we have brown cheese.

 

[Trivun]

No seriously why the heck is cheddar cheese orange? Im almost positive milk from cows isn't orange. So why and who decided orange would make cheddar cheese better?

Big question for you is, if you were to decide the color of cheddar cheese today what color would it be?

For me Id make it Blue. Why? Because Blue is awesome.

Ummmmmmmm, I'm from the UK (the home of Cheddar cheese) and the only cheddar cheese I ever eat or buy is yellow. Very much so, indeed, it's a very pale yellow, almost white:

So yeah. I assume you're talking about the US stuff, which isn't cheddar and can barely be called cheese. And I've been to the USA, I've eaten that stuff, so I know what I'm talking about and I stand by my statement. If I had my way, the only cheese that would be allowed to be called 'cheddar' is the stuff actually made in Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, England, just as it used to be, and just like the status given to Cornish Pasties, Melton Mowbray pork pies, and French Chardonnay...

 

[Lexodus]

I'm English, and it really isn't orange. It's a pale yellow, and the closest to orange is red leicester.

 

[elvor0]

Eh? Chedder cheese is yellow. Red lester is orange

 

[ForensicYOYO]

It's orange so they could tell it from other cheeses (ie. mozzarella). I'd leave it as is, myself.

Why isn't mozzarella orange then?

Because when they decided they needed to color a cheese, cheddar happened to get chosen.

Imagine how different everything would be if they chose mozzarella instead.

*visualising* Nope nothing except this thread wouldn't be about cheddar being orange anymore

 

[infohippie]

Yeah, Cheddar cheese sure isn't orange where I buy it. It's varying shades of yellow, depending on what brand it is, usually a fairly light or even pale yellow.

 

[SpAc3man]

Real cheddar isn't orange. Americans colour it for some weird reason.

 

[TriGGeR_HaPPy]

Real cheddar isn't orange. Americans colour it for some weird reason.

Yea, this is what I thought too. That the cheaper American cheeses are coloured orange... :S

Here in Aus, I haven't seen any orange cheese, except one that was labeled as "American Cheddar". Go figure.

 

[ForensicYOYO]

No seriously why the heck is cheddar cheese orange? Im almost positive milk from cows isn't orange. So why and who decided orange would make cheddar cheese better?

Big question for you is, if you were to decide the color of cheddar cheese today what color would it be?

For me Id make it Blue. Why? Because Blue is awesome.

Ummmmmmmm, I'm from the UK (the home of Cheddar cheese) and the only cheddar cheese I ever eat or buy is yellow. Very much so, indeed, it's a very pale yellow, almost white:

So yeah. I assume you're talking about the US stuff, which isn't cheddar and can barely be called cheese. And I've been to the USA, I've eaten that stuff, so I know what I'm talking about and I stand by my statement. If I had my way, the only cheese that would be allowed to be called 'cheddar' is the stuff actually made in Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, England, just as it used to be, and just like the status given to Cornish Pasties, Melton Mowbray pork pies, and French Chardonnay...

Ok you got me there. I am now adding to the title of this thread.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

No seriously why the heck is cheddar cheese orange? Im almost positive milk from cows isn't orange. So why and who decided orange would make cheddar cheese better?

Big question for you is, if you were to decide the color of cheddar cheese today what color would it be?

For me Id make it Blue. Why? Because Blue is awesome.

Ummmmmmmm, I'm from the UK (the home of Cheddar cheese) and the only cheddar cheese I ever eat or buy is yellow. Very much so, indeed, it's a very pale yellow, almost white:

So yeah. I assume you're talking about the US stuff, which isn't cheddar and can barely be called cheese. And I've been to the USA, I've eaten that stuff, so I know what I'm talking about and I stand by my statement. If I had my way, the only cheese that would be allowed to be called 'cheddar' is the stuff actually made in Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, England, just as it used to be, and just like the status given to Cornish Pasties, Melton Mowbray pork pies, and French Chardonnay...

It depends on what cheese you buy. The Amish actually make some really good cheese, and it gets distributed all over the country. If you were eating Kraft cheese, then yeah, it's not very good.

OT: I always thought of it as more of a yellow than an orange, even for the American stuff. But it is dyed either way; some places sell white cheddar, but it's not particularly common. I'm sure there's a reason for it somewhere; did you know that in the US during World War II, the margarine that came in the rations for people living back home came with food coloring packets to make it yellow instead of white? I guess the idea was to make it more butter like. It wouldn't surprise me if the yellow/orange cheddar has similar origins.

 

[ilspooner]

Cheddar is orange? :O My cheddar down here is a nice pale yellow.

 

[LadyPhera]

I always thought the additive of color was to show the sharpness of it. I usually find the sharper cheddar tend to have the orange added to at least the packaging or the wrap around it. I think this is where you find the orange tint added. Though I could not tell you if that color is from the aging process or if it was truly added. Milder cheddar will be pale. The ones in the images above are probably mild or simply natural. Either way, it just seems to be dyed to make it look better but I still think it is to show us how sharp it is. It's just my opinion though. I did find this http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1284/why-is-cheddar-cheese-orange on the topic if anyone else hasn't seen the article it is worth a look.....Maybe they have a Foodography episode on this.

Edit: yes there is a Foodography episode on Cheese! I'm sure Mo Rocca goes over this odd trend of dying cheese. And if not, he surely will tell us something about the history of cheddar.