Ireland is known for its powerful sharp cheddar and cheddar-like cheeses. They range from ultra-aged white barrel-shaped tongue-tinglers to the flaky, tangy Red Leicester, an English import that has gained a foothold in Ireland and is now distributed by Kerrygold, the brand name of products manufactured by the Irish Dairy Association. Under this brand, dairy farmers all over Ireland contribute milk from their own small herds which is shipped to manufactories and turned into delicious deep-gold butter and a variety of cheeses for export.
According to Kerrygold and the British Cheese Board, Red Leicester cheese has been made in Leicestershire, England for many hundreds of years. It is sometimes called a cross between cheddar and Cheshire. In Ireland, it is made in Newmarket, in County Cork, and is widely distributed in the United States. You can find it at most larger supermarket cheese cases at prices comparable to other good quality cheddars.
Red Leicester is made from pasteurized cows' milk, and is formed into flat wheels rather than the barrel-shapes more common to European cheddars. In the past it was a white cheese, but for two centuries or more it has been strongly colored with annatto, a flavorless vegetable dye that gives it a characteristic dark orange-red color.
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