We love cheddar here in The Madhouse. Even if Madhouse Daddy Mike is French, it's still up there amongst our favourite cheeses, both in cooking and for eating as it is, either at the end of a meal or in a sandwich. It's so versatile and manages to give lovely flavour without off-putting dodgy smells, unlike many of the French cheeses we've tried !
When Davidstow sent us through a couple of their mature cheddars to try, I immediately chopped a piece off for everyone (even 19-month-old Pierre !) and the unanimous verdict was that it was delicious. As a mature cheddar, it has a lovely rich taste. It's also got the perfect balance of creaminess and crumbliness.
So what makes it so delicious ? Well, it could be the "60 years of dedication, learning and love" they mention on the Davidstow website, or it could be the Cornish cows that create all that beautifully creamy milk - just think of Cornish ice cream, clotted cream, ... why not add Cornish cheese to the list ?!
What intrigued me the most was that there are two types of cheese available - Davidstow Cornish Classic mature cheddar and Davidstow Cornish Crackler extra mature cheddar. Just what exactly is the crackly bit that you feel as your teeth bite into the creamy cheese ? Well, they clear up this mystery on their website. They explain that the Crackler is typically matured for at least 19 months, namely 5 months longer than the Classic, and go on to say that " it is intense, yet pleasantly sweet, with added layers of complexity and concentrated bursts of flavour due to the naturally occurring crunchy crystals that the cheese acquires with age". Aaah, I've always wondered why some cheeses have extra crackle and some don't - now I know !
Whether or not you opt for Crackle is down to personal choice - I prefer it without, Madhouse Daddy prefers it with. The kids don't care, they just gobble it up whichever one it is which sounds like a good idea too !
star rating : 5/5
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My boyfriend like sharp cheddar, maybe he will like this one! Thanks for sharing!
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