Double Glouchester, Cheddar's Aristocratic Relative

Judging by the color, Double Gloucester (GLOSS-ter) could be just another cheddar.  Its flavor, however is all its own.  It's rich, nutty, and smooth, and surprisingly creamy for all its firmness.

The semi-hard, cheddar-style cheese has been made in Gloucestershire, England since the 16th century, once only made with milk from the (now almost extinct) Gloucester cow.  Made from the whole milk and cream of two milkings, it is then allowed to age for six to nine months.  Single Gloucester is also made, and is lighter and more crumbly than Double as it is made with mostly skimmed milk.  Both types are made in round shapes, though rounds of Double are larger.

Double Gloucester also has the honor of being the cheese used in the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake on Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire.  Competitors chase a wheel of cheese down the hillside.  Catching the 80-pound round is nearly impossible, though, as the cheese can move up to 70 mile per hour down the hill.

Choose Gloucester that is cloth-wrapped, as this signifies farmhouse origin and quality.  There shouldn't be cracks or mold and the color should be more pastel orange than bright (which suggests dryness).

Though the cheese is excellent by the slice with a glass of red wine, it can also be a delicious (if pricier) substitute in any recipe that calls for cheddar.