Castello cheeses facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castello |
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| Country of origin | Denmark |
| Pasteurized | Yes |
| Texture | Soft |
Castello is a popular brand of cheeses. It is made by Arla Foods, a large company from Denmark. Arla Foods is a group of farmers who work together. They are based in Viby, Aarhus. Castello makes many different kinds of cheeses. These include soft, hard, blue, and cream cheeses.
Castello sells various cheeses around the world. In Europe, you can find soft cheeses like Golden and White. They also have organic Brie and semi-hard cheeses like Herrgård. Their blue cheeses include Black, Creamy Blue, and Danablu. They also make many types of cream cheese.
For North America, Castello offers camembert and brie. They also have several kinds of blue cheese. These are called Noble Blue Cheese and Extra Danish Creamy Blue. In 2012, they added Denmark's Finest Havarti Cheeses. Saga Blue Brie joined the brand in 2013.
Some special cheeses, like Hirten and Bergkase, were launched in the United States in 2012. These were new types of cheese for that market. Sometimes, a special triple cream blue cheese made from cow's milk is called Blue Castello.
Contents
The Story of Castello Cheese
Castello was started in 1893 by Rasmus Tholstrup. He was from Denmark. Later, his son Henrik bought a dairy in Sweden. There, he made a popular cheese called Bianco. Then, he created the Castello cheese. This white cheese took over ten years to develop!
In 1958, Henrik made the cheese brand bigger. He bought several dairies in Denmark. Just four years later, they were making 2,200 Castello cheeses every day. Thirty years after that, the number grew to 60,000 cheeses daily!
In 1963, Henrik won an award. It was the Danish Cheesemonger's award. He was praised for introducing the new Castello cheese. This cheese helped Danish cheese making become very successful. It quickly became popular in Denmark and other countries. Later, Arla Foods bought Castello. This helped Castello cheeses reach even more people, especially in North America.
How Castello Blue Cheese is Made
Castello blue cheeses were first made in the 1960s. The cheese curds are dipped in salt water. Then, they are drained and put into molds. Small holes are poked into the cheese. After this, the cheese goes into a special room to ripen. It stays there for about 15 days.
Next, the cheese is washed, cut, and packed. It then goes into a "cooling room" for about a week. The temperature there is very cold, almost freezing. The washed rind (outer layer) of the cheese has different molds. These molds give the cheese its slightly spicy taste. Castello blue cheese has a smooth, rich texture. It is quite similar to Brie.
Castello Cheese Awards
Castello cheeses have won many awards over the years. Here are some of them:
Top Awards for Taste
- 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001: The American Culinary Institute gave Castello:Rosenborg their Gold Medal “Best Taste” Award. This means it was chosen as the best-tasting imported Blue cheese for five years in a row!
- 2003, 2002, 2001: The American Tasting Institute gave "Gold Medal" and "Best of Show" awards to Castello Rosenborg Danish Blue Cheese, Extra Creamy Danish Blue Cheese, and Mellow Blue Danish Cheese.
World Championship Wins
- 1998: 3rd Place Blue Cheese for Traditional Danish Blue Cheese (Rosenborg® brand) at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers World Championship Contest.
- 1996: World's Best Blue Cheese for Extra Creamy Danish Blue Cheese (Rosenborg® brand) at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers World Championship Contest.
- 1994: World's Best Cheese Overall for Extra Creamy Danish Blue Cheese (Rosenborg brand) at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers World Championship Contest. Also, 3rd Place Blue Cheese for Traditional Danish Blue Cheese (Rosenborg brand).
- 1992: World's Best Cheese Overall for Extra Creamy Danish Blue Cheese (Rosenborg® brand) at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers World Championship Contest.
- 1990: World's Best Blue Cheese for Traditional Danish Blue Cheese (Rosenborg® brand) at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers World Championship Contest.
- 1986: Traditional Danish Blue won “Best of Class” at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers World Championship Contest.
- 1980: Traditional Danish Blue won the “World Championship” at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers World Championship Contest.
See also
In Spanish: Castello Blue para niños
