If your favourite cheese is mature cheddar, are you still a cheese lover?

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121557661#Comment_121557661

Genuine question - how much grated cheese do you go through that you wouldn't just grate it as you need it?

magicbastarder

i regularly buy charleville grated cheese (to have on baked spuds, usually) and it's fine. you don't see that dusting of what i think is starch on it.

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121557661#Comment_121557661

The "wax" is most likely starch that you're tasting. Pre grated cheese tends to be coated in starch and other chemicals.

A nice gorgonzola is probably my favourite but I'll devour a cheddar toasty just as easily.

The only bit of "snobbery" I would have is with the pre grated stuff. It ruins any kind of cheese.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121558502#Comment_121558502

Why not just grate it as you need it?

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121558042#Comment_121558042

I used to just slice a block as needed for sandwiches, etc. I had stopped buying supermarket grated cheese due to the waxy taste of it. Now with the processor it can grate a 400g block in about 30 seconds and I put that in a sealed bag and then have it on demand in the fridge. That grated cheese is far nicer than supermarket bought.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561401#Comment_121561401

I get that, but why not just leave the block whole and grate it fresh as you need it???

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561432#Comment_121561432

Convenience really. If I had a 400g block and grate 40g of cheese off it every time I want to make a sandwich then that means Ive to wash the box grater 10 times day after day which is a PITA. Lunch tends to be rushed for me so I dont want to be creating washing up every day over making a simple sandwich and box graters are a pain to clean as food and residue lodges on the blades both inside and outside. In the dishwasher they rust in no time as theyre made from cheap metal and the steam effects it badly. For me anyway box graters are probably one of the most awkward things to clean in the entire kitchen. Them and garlic presses are both awkward to get spotlessly clean as they both leave lots of food residue.

So I just went back to slicing cheese instead. But now with the food processer it grates an entire block in no time at all and Ive always a stock of grated cheese in the fridge ready to go. The grater blade goes in the dishwasher for use again maybe 10 or 12 days later. So its far more convenient than washing a box grater 10 times in a row. Its not the reason I bought the processor, its for other stuff. But their ability to grate an entire block of cheese in seconds is an added bonus. And because of that now my box grater has been consigned to the bin.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121560707#Comment_121560707

The charleville stuff seems fine pre grated. Convenience, really.

shanec1928

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121521542#Comment_121521542

its nice but has taken a made price hike from the days it was always 2 for a block, the dunnes mature cheese in the white package tastes just as nice and assume also made in the same cork factory.

Tree

Better than a box grater is those grater lunch boxes, much less awkward angle on them. LAcks the satisfaction of the food processor absolutely lashing through the block though

I.am.Putins.raging.bile.duct

this is lovely

Boardnashea

To get back to the original question, there is absolutely nothing wrong with liking mature cheddar, even your favorite cheese. But to consider most of the Irish supermarket cheddars to be anything like a real mature cheddar is a bit of a stretch. My preferred cheddar is one of the MnS ones. And they don't have to be very strong cheeses. I'm looking for dryish, crumbly cheese, not too salty.

My next port of call would be a specialist cheese shop but you can push the price up significantly going there.