Leicester cheese
Encyclopedia
Red Leicester is an English cheese
, made in a similar manner to Cheddar cheese
, although it is crumblier. Since the 18th century, it has been coloured orange by adding annatto
extract during manufacture. It is a cow's milk cheese, originally from Leicestershire
, England, and is named after the city of Leicester
. It has a firm texture, and a slightly nutty taste. Versions sold in supermarkets are typically made with the added ingredient annatto
, which is is used as a food colouring, although it is possible to obtain Red Leicester without annatto.
Although Red Leicester can be young or "old", aged anywhere from four to nine months, the young Leicesters at the start of that range will be very mild: they often require at least six months to develop a tang. Farmhouse versions are also available. Farmhouse makers will mature it in cloth, the old way, to allow better flavour development.
Versions of Red Leicester are also made in America.
or beet
juice.
It used to be called Leicestershire Cheese, after the county in which it was originally made, but is now called Red Leicester to distinguish it from the White Leicester which was made to a national recipe under wartime controls during the 1940s. The rind is reddish-orange with a powdery mould on it.
The fat content of Red Leicester cheese when fresh is generally between 33 and 34%. Regulations regarding cheese require minimum fat levels to be stated in terms of the "fat in dry matter
" or FDM, as moisture levels decrease as cheese ages. Take out the moisture and you are left with fat, protein, minerals, vitamins and salt – the FDM measures the amount of fat in these solids, exclusive of water. So although the minimum FDM generally listed for Red Leicester is 48% this equates to an actual fat content in the final product of around 33–34%
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, made in a similar manner to Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....
, although it is crumblier. Since the 18th century, it has been coloured orange by adding annatto
Annatto
Annatto, sometimes called roucou or achiote, is a derivative of the achiote trees of tropical regions of the Americas, used to produce a yellow to orange food coloring and also as a flavoring...
extract during manufacture. It is a cow's milk cheese, originally from Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England, and is named after the city of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. It has a firm texture, and a slightly nutty taste. Versions sold in supermarkets are typically made with the added ingredient annatto
Annatto
Annatto, sometimes called roucou or achiote, is a derivative of the achiote trees of tropical regions of the Americas, used to produce a yellow to orange food coloring and also as a flavoring...
, which is is used as a food colouring, although it is possible to obtain Red Leicester without annatto.
Although Red Leicester can be young or "old", aged anywhere from four to nine months, the young Leicesters at the start of that range will be very mild: they often require at least six months to develop a tang. Farmhouse versions are also available. Farmhouse makers will mature it in cloth, the old way, to allow better flavour development.
Versions of Red Leicester are also made in America.
History
The cheese was originally made on farms in Leicestershire with milk that was surplus once all the Stilton desired was made. It was originally coloured with carrotCarrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
or beet
Beet
The beet is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family which is now included in Amaranthaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...
juice.
It used to be called Leicestershire Cheese, after the county in which it was originally made, but is now called Red Leicester to distinguish it from the White Leicester which was made to a national recipe under wartime controls during the 1940s. The rind is reddish-orange with a powdery mould on it.
The fat content of Red Leicester cheese when fresh is generally between 33 and 34%. Regulations regarding cheese require minimum fat levels to be stated in terms of the "fat in dry matter
Dry matter
The dry matter is a measurement of the mass of something when completely dried.The dry matter of plant and animal material would be its solids, i.e. all its constituents excluding water. The dry matter of food would include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants...
" or FDM, as moisture levels decrease as cheese ages. Take out the moisture and you are left with fat, protein, minerals, vitamins and salt – the FDM measures the amount of fat in these solids, exclusive of water. So although the minimum FDM generally listed for Red Leicester is 48% this equates to an actual fat content in the final product of around 33–34%