Swaledale cheese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swaledale |
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| Country of origin | England |
| Region | Swaledale, North Yorkshire |
| Town | Richmond |
| Source of milk | Ewe/Cow |
| Pasteurised | Unpasteurised |
| Texture | Medium firm |
| Weight | average 2.25 kg (5 lb) |
| Certification | PDO |
| Named after | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Swaledale is a special type of cheese made in Richmond, a town in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, England. It's a firm, full-fat cheese. This unique cheese is made using milk from cows, Swaledale sheep, and even goats!
Contents
What is Swaledale Cheese Like?
Swaledale cheeses are usually round. Each cheese wheel weighs about 2.25 kilograms (5 lb). The milk used to make it is unpasteurised, meaning it hasn't been heated to kill germs.
The animals that provide the milk eat plants in Swaledale. The special mix of herbs and grasses there gives the milk a unique taste. This makes Swaledale cheese taste different from others. It has a moist, firm texture. People say its flavor reminds them of "the misty Dales and wild bracken." It also has a sweet, caramel taste from the ewes' milk.
How Swaledale Cheese is Made
Swaledale cheese is made by hand using a very old recipe. Only a few people know all the steps!
First, milk from local farms is collected. It's heated to 28 °C (82 °F) and mixed with special cultures. After two hours, rennet is added to help the milk curdle.
The mixture then sits for an hour to form curds. These curds are heated again to 28 °C, cut into pieces, and stirred. They are cut again and drained. The curd pieces are then stacked up. Next, they are broken apart and put into moulds lined with muslin cloth.
The moulds are gently pressed for 18 hours while stored at 28 °C. They are turned over once after four hours. After pressing, the cheese is taken out of the moulds. It then soaks in a strong solution of salty water (called brine) for 24 hours.
After all these steps, Swaledale cheese is stored in damp cellars. As it gets older, a grey-blue mould can grow on its outside, unless it's covered in wax. The cheese is ready to eat after about three to four weeks.
The History of Swaledale Cheese
Stories say that cheese-making in the Yorkshire Dales started with Cistercian monks. These monks came from Normandy and settled in the area in the 11th century. They taught local farmers how to make cheese. Even when the monks left during the dissolution of the monasteries, the farmers kept making it.
In the 1700s, many farmhouses in Swaledale made cheese. They sold it fresh and white, or older and blue. The cheese's soft texture and moisture helped it grow blue mould easily in the damp cellars.
By the early 1900s, Cheesemaking in Swaledale started to slow down. By 1980, only one farm was still making it. This farm, Harkerside, stopped making cheese in the early 1980s.
But then, Mrs. Longstaff shared the original recipe with David and Mandy Reed. They started the Swaledale Cheese company in February 1987. Thanks to them, this special cheese is still made today!
Awards and Recognition
Swaledale Cheese is very well-known. In 1995, Swaledale Cheese and Swaledale Ewes Cheese received a special European status. This is called protected designation of origin (PDO). It means the cheese can only be called Swaledale if it's made in that specific area.
Swaledale cheeses have won many awards. For example, in 2008, they won three gold awards at the Great Taste Awards. They also won three gold and two bronze medals at the World Cheese Awards that same year!
See also
- In Spanish: Swaledale (queso) para niños
