🧀 Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar
Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar is a PGI hard Cheddar made on the Orkney Islands of Scotland from local cow's milk.
Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar is a hard Cheddar-type cheese made from cow's milk on the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. The name is registered in the EU as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication, eAmbrosia file PGI-GB-0908, Regulation (EU) No 1186/2013).
Dairy farming has long been important on Orkney: the mild maritime climate and lush pastures give good milk. The cheese is made on the islands from the milk of local farms, which sets it apart from ordinary Cheddar, a name that is free to use worldwide.
The method is classic Cheddar: the milk is set with rennet and starter culture, the curd is heated, the slabs of curd are stacked and turned (cheddaring), then milled, salted and pressed. The cheese then matures for several months, from mild to mature.
The paste is firm, from pale yellow to deeper in colour, slightly crumbly in older cheeses. The taste is creamy with nutty notes, becoming sharper with age.
How to eat it: on a cheese board, in sandwiches, gratins and sauces, with apples and chutney. Ale, cider and red wines go with it (see Wine and cheese).
The cheese belongs to Hard cheeses, to Cheddar and to British cheeses; it is made from cow's milk.
Why it matters to you: the PGI guarantees that a cheese sold as Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar was made on the Orkney Islands following the approved specification.
Facts
| Raw material | Cow's milk from Orkney farms |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom (Scotland) |
| Region | Orkney Islands |
| Taste | Creamy, nutty, sharper with age |
| Legal basis | EU PGI, PGI-GB-0908, Regulation 1186/2013 2 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar → kind of → 🧀 Cheddar → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🧀 Cheddar, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇬🇧 British cheeses
Frequently asked questions
Where is Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar made?
On the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland, from the milk of local farms.
Is it true that the name Cheddar is protected in the EU?
No. The word Cheddar is free; only specific names are protected, such as Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar (PGI) or West Country Farmhouse Cheddar (PDO).
What does Orkney Cheddar taste like?
Creamy with nutty notes; the longer it matures, the sharper it gets.
Similar
🧀 West Country Farmhouse Cheddar · 🧀 Single Gloucester · 🧀 Džiugas · 🧀 Piave (cheese) · 🧀 Silter · 🧀 Queso Casín
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.