The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing, with the crop being transported on the Cheddar Valley line, which closed in the late 1960s but is now a cycle path.

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom.

Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, pale yellow to off-white ( unless artificially coloured ), and sometimes sharp-tasting, cheese.

The name " Cheddar cheese " is widely used and has no Protected Designation of Origin ( PDO ) within the European Union, but only Cheddar produced from local milk within four counties of South West England may use the name " West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.

The cheese originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, South West England.

Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and constant temperature for maturing the cheese.

Central to the modernisation and standardisation of Cheddar cheese was the nineteenth century Somerset dairyman Joseph Harding.

For his technical developments, promotion of dairy hygiene and unremunerated propagation of modern cheese-making techniques he has been described as the father of Cheddar cheese.

Harding stated that Cheddar cheese is " not made in the field, nor in the byre, nor even in the cow, it is made in the dairy ".

Joseph Harding's son, Henry Harding, was responsible for introducing Cheddar cheese production to Australia.

During World War II, and for nearly a decade after the war, most milk in Britain was used for the making of one single kind of cheese nicknamed " Government Cheddar " as part of war economies and rationing.

As with other hard cheese varieties produced worldwide, caves provide an ideal environment for maturing cheese ; still, today, some Cheddar cheese is matured in the caves at Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge.

Cheddar cheese maturing in the caves at Cheddar Gorge

A patty melt is a type of burger consisting of a hamburger patty, pieces of sautéed or grilled onion and Cheddar or Swiss cheese between two slices of bread ( traditionally rye, though sourdough is sometimes substituted ).

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras.

In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg.

Real Farmhouse Caerphilly production died out during World War II as all milk had to go to the Cheddar factories to help the war effort.

: They had but one last remaining night together, so they embraced each other as tightly as that two-flavor entwined string cheese that is orange and yellowish-white, the orange probably being a bland Cheddar and the white.

Indeed John Canynges and his business partner William Cheddar the Elder had taken temporary possession of William Corbet's 2 / 3rds occupancy of Alveston manor as security for their debt, and later granted it by gift to William II Canynges ( d. 1474 ) who held it from them as a " free tenant ".

In 1878, the GWR joined the East Somerset line with the Cheddar Valley line to Wells, which had been built by the Bristol and Exeter Railway, by obtaining running rights over a section of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway and running its trains through the S & DJR Wells station at Priory Road, though GWR trains did not stop at Priory Road until 1934.

The nearest railway station is in the nearby village of Yatton, although Congresbury once had its own railway station on the Cheddar Valley Line from Yatton to Wells.

Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9, 000 years old, was found in 1903.

The inlet grate for the water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge.

Strong, extra-mature Cheddar, sometimes called vintage, needs to be matured for up to 15 months.

Real Cheddar is never " soapy ", in texture or mouthfeel, and tends to be more brittle than other types of cheeses.

Cheddar cheese was sometimes ( and still can be found ) packaged in black wax, but was more commonly packaged in larded cloth, which was impermeable to contaminants, but still allowed the cheese to " breathe ", although this practice is now limited to artisan cheese makers.

The Slow Food Movement has created a Cheddar Presidium, claiming that only three cheeses should be called " Cheddar ".

Their specifications, which go further than the West Country farmhouse Cheddar Protected Designation of Origin ( PDO ), require that Cheddar cheese be made in Somerset and with traditional methods, such as using raw milk, traditional animal rennet, and a cloth wrapping.

The name " Cheddar " is not protected by the European Union, though the name " West Country Farmhouse Cheddar " has an EU Protected Designation of Origin, and may only be produced in Somerset, Devon, Dorset, and Cornwall, using milk sourced from those counties.

The low temperature means that the caves can be used for maturing Cheddar cheese.

The wine can typically pair well with a variety of cheeses, such as Cheddar, mozzarella and Brie, but full flavored or blue cheeses will typically compete too much with the flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon to be a complementary pairing.

The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be over 9, 000 years old, was found in 1903.

" West Country Farmhouse Cheddar " is a Protected Designation of Origin ( PDO ) that can only be applied to Cheddar cheese made in the traditional way in the four counties of Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

Industrial versions tend to be drier and less crumbly, more like a mild Cheddar cheese, as this makes them easier to process than cheese with the traditional texture.

Hence Cheddar cheese was deemed to be a generic name, but the PDO " West Country farmhouse Cheddar cheese " was allowed.

A ploughman's lunch ( often just called a ploughman's ) is a cold snack or meal originating in the United Kingdom, served in pubs, sometimes eaten in a sandwich form, composed of cheese ( usually a thick piece of Cheddar, Stilton or other local cheese ); often cooked ham slices, pickle ( often Branston pickle, or any similar relish or chutney ), apples, pickled onions, salad leaves, bread ( especially crusty bread, which may be a chunk from a loaf or a cob ); and butter.

Thus, the crafts and skills employed by the cheesemaker to make a Camembert will be similar to, but not quite the same as, those used to make Cheddar.

For 2012, McDonald's announced that the McRib's annual release would be delayed until the end of December, as opposed to its traditional autumn release ( which will instead be used to debut the Cheddar Bacon Onion Angus Burger ).

Cheddar, made in the classical way, tends to have a sharp, pungent flavour, often slightly earthy.

An example of a cheese, made in the style of a traditional Cheddar in Lincolnshire, is Lincolnshire Poacher.

Cheddar cheese was first made in Canada in the 19th century.

* Wedginald – a round of Cheddar made famous when its maturation was broadcast on the internet.

Traditionally made Emmental or Cheddar might contain 10 % of the lactose found in whole milk.

Cheddar cheese, originally made in the village of Cheddar, is by far the most common type, with many variations.

Cheddar cheese is made in the lower part of the gorge.

The image to the right shows freshly made morsels of Cheddar cheese before being pressed and aged.

Nabisco made a detailed statement describing how their peanuts were healthier than most other snack products, going as far as comparing the nutritional facts of Planters peanuts to those of potato chips, Cheddar cheese chips, and popcorn.

Other items that are special to Sonic's menu include Breakfast Toaster sandwiches ( made with Texas toast instead of the typical bun ), Cheddar Peppers, and new Flatmelts.

Red Leicester is an English cheese, made in a similar manner to Cheddar cheese, although it is crumblier.

Welsh rarebit is typically made with Cheddar cheese, in contrast to the Continental European fondue which classically depends on Swiss cheeses.

(" Longhorn " cheese refers to a mild Cheddar or Colby cheese made into a long orange cylinder.

* Colby cheese ( originally ' Colby Cheddar '), a type of cheese made from cow's milk

After browsing possible destinations ( including Lancashire, Cheddar, Wensleydale, Philadelphia and Tescos ), they ultimately choose to go to the Moon, since " everybody knows the moon's made of cheese.

There are a variety of related Cheez-It products, including Baby Swiss, White Cheddar, Parmesan & Garlic, Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack, Italian Four Cheese, Colby, Reduced Fat, Snack Mix ( formerly called Party Mix ), Snack Mix Double Cheese, Hot & Spicy ( made with Tabasco ), Mozzarella, Duoz Sharp Cheddar & Parmesan, Duoz Smoked Cheddar & Monterey Jack, and the Cheez-It Big ( a larger cracker more suitable for garnishing or dipping ).