Artisanal cheese isn’t always the answer. Sometimes those attractively priced, shrink-wrapped blocks of cheese in supermarket dairy cases are just what we’re looking for–to make brown-bag lunches, shred onto casseroles and salads, and replenish the mass-quantity cheese trays that are a staple at springtime showers and graduation parties.
We tasted six brands of medium Cheddar cheese, looking for a velvety texture with just enough of that Cheddar tang to perk up our taste buds.
Without the wrapping, they sure looked alike. And many tasters thought they tasted alike too. That’s reflected in the scores and it’s not necessarily bad news. After we found the top two–the Lucerne brand sold at Dominick’s won the tasting in a squeaker to second-place Land O’ Lakes–the scores showed that none of the cheeses really disappointed us. So sale prices could safely be a deciding factor in your purchases.
Here are the two winners, with tasters’ comments, followed by the rest of the pack in order of finish.
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And the winners are …
1. Lucerne (5.8 points. 16 ounces, $3.99; 25 cents per ounce). “Pleasantly sharp, then mellow, nutty and grainy.” “Nice curd break; not pressed too hard.” “Tastes fine but wish it had more spark.”
2. Land O’Lakes (5.7 points. 8 ounces. $2.50; 31 cents per ounce). “On its way to sharp; quite good for a block of cheese.” “Good bite, giving way to creamy texture.” “Texture is too smooth and rubbery.”
Others tasted
3. (tie, 5.5 points) Kraft; 365 (Whole Foods Market)
4. (tie, 4.8 points) Jewel; Tillamook
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Products are scored on a scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being highest. Prices are based on what we paid for them at the supermarket and may reflect sales or discounts from frequent-shopper cards.
renna@tribune.com
