Cheddar is a firm, smooth cheese with a sharp, tangy flavor that gets stronger as it ages. Originally made in the English village of Cheddar centuries ago, it's now one of the most popular cheeses in the world. You'll find it sliced on sandwiches, melted on burgers, grated over tacos, or cut into blocks for snacking.

The cheese-making process for cheddar involves a special technique called “cheddaring,” where cheesemakers stack and flip slabs of curd to squeeze out moisture, creating that dense, sliceable texture that makes cheddar different from softer cheeses like mozzarella or cream cheese.

Cheddar comes in different varieties: mild cheddar has been aged only a few months and tastes gentle and creamy, while sharp or extra sharp cheddar has been aged a year or more and packs a bold, intense flavor. Some aged cheddars develop tiny white crystals inside that crunch pleasantly when you bite them.

The word “cheddar” is also slang for money, and some people think orange cheddar looks a bit like gold coins.