McLelland Seriously Strong Cheddar

Reason For Purchase ~ 'If I had to give up cheese or chocolate, I'd give up chocolate in a heartbeat'

Simply because I adore cheese, strong cheese at that! I'm not alone in relishing this wonderful product :~) According to DairyCo, 'a levy-funded, not-for-profit organisation working on behalf of Britain's dairy farmers', cheese 'sales for the 52 weeks ending 02 October 2011, when compared with the previous year, total cheese expenditure has increased by 5.2% to 2.56billion'!

The Product ~ "Never commit yourself to a cheese without having first examined it." T.S. Eliot

The cheddar comes in cheerful packaging. With a bright red rosette, indicating it is an 'Award Winning Cheddar', within this prise badge are the words 'Seriously Strong Cheddar Cheese' in big bold caps, almost like a warning! :~) Its sturdy plastic wrap ensures the cheese is kept fresh and full of flavour. This product is noted as suitable for vegetarians and a great source of calcium. The allergy Information clarifies that the product contains cow's milk.

As a point of interest, the Tesco online grocery site notes the following nutritional values:

Typical Values Typical values per 100g: -
Energy: 1700kJ/410kcal -
Protein: 25.0g -
Carbohydrate: 0.1g -
(of which sugars 0.1g) -
Fat: 34.4g -
(of which saturates 21.7g) -
Fibre: 0g -
Sodium: 0.7g -
Calcium: 740mg (92% RDA*)

Pretty high energy and fat values eh? :~{ To store, the cheddar must be kept refrigerated to ensure its freshness. The manufacturers also recommend serving the cheese at room temperature.

My Usage Experience ~ "Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures".

I must admit that I'm not a fan of the smell of the cheddar but then that is the same for most cheddar cheeses for me. The texture is firm but pliable. The surface is smooth with a delightful pale Cadmium Yellow, a soft gold. The cheese grates very easily on certain shredder widths.

I use a box grater with four sides to choose from. For preparing the cheese for toppings like pasta, I like to use the standard size, situated to the front of the tool, measuring a quarter of an inch hole. I love using this as it provides gorgeous coarse shreds from the cheese. When placed on top of the prepared dish of pasta, potatoes or cauliflower cheese, it seeps into the toppings quickly under a medium grill. The golden glow it leaves is like a sumptuous glistening blanket spread evenly over the surface. The taste enhances the blandest of toppings. In fact, I often leave out seasonings on the toppings if I'm using this cheese, it simply doesn't need anything extra. The resulting taste from grilling these shreds of cheese is so scrumptious, succulent with a little kick from it's tangy overtones.

When it comes to crackers, I use the slicer side, four 1 1/2 inch horizontal slots. Slicing the cheese on this side takes a little more effort and I need to hold the block firmly to prevent the cheese from breaking off in cubes. The thin slices layered on the cracker surfaces give a more subtle taste, though the savoury tang is still noticeable. Oh and don't forget the wine, this cheese really is a great companion with a glass...or two! :~)

Using the smallest grating side provides very fine shreds of cheese, perfect for entertaining as savoury nibbles with snack foods. But wow, this is hard work using the cheddar on such a fine grater. I haven't yet managed to grate the cheese on this section without portions breaking off! But, despite this inconvenience, the effort is well worth it as the very fine shreds look a lovely pale yellow, complementing many snack dishes. The taste is far more subtle and dissolves on the tongue with creamy and mellow.

If I had to mention a fault, I'd say that for cheddar it doesn't grill well on toast. The cheese doesn't blend down on the toast blanketing the slices, but rather produces a coating in the surface nearer the heat much like the topping on custard when left to cool. Despite this, the taste is flavoursome but the texture has changed to the extent that the taste seems to be effected to be quite mediocre, so different than making a sandwich from the product.

And this is my favourite way of consuming the cheese. For me, it taste at its very best when consumed as a sandwich using crusty bread, thin slices of cucumber and cherry tomatoes. The strength of the pungent sharp and tangy taste combined with the smooth overall appetizing flavour is mouth watering. I adore cheese on toast but this is more suitable as a shredded topping or sliced within a sandwich. Mind you, pineapple and this cheese cubes is amazing :~)

Recommend? ~ The 'Big Cheese'!

Definitely. This is a tremendously versatile cheese that gives a gentle kick on the taste buds that leave one quoting from the Pringle ads, "once you pop you can't stop"! :~) A wonderfully versatile, mouth watering cheese. Will compliment an array of foods but struggles under the grill when it comes to toast! But the pluses to this product outweighs its very few negatives :~)

The Mclellands Seriously Strong Cheddar White 200G is currently available online and in store from Tesco's for £2.28. But this cheese is available in most leading stores, and often on offer.

Please note: I do not correct quotes! :~)
Thank you for reading my review, I hope it has been beneficial :~)