THE CHEESE: Neal’s Yard Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England 

THE STYLE: Raw Holstein cow’s milk makes this dense, red style of cheddar. The cheese is aged six months prior to release. The red color comes from annatto, which is an orange-red seed from the achiote tree, native to tropical regions. It is often used to add color to foods, and does not change the flavor.

FLAVOR PROFILE: Nutty, milder than aged cheddar, hint of sweetness and lemon zest. 

HOW TO ENJOY: A lovely addition to a cheese board with its color and crumbly texture. Serve with a mango chutney or grainy mustard, dried cranberries, and tart apple. You can grate this on cauliflower gnocchi or add a slice to your grilled cheese sandwich. Hard cheeses should be at room temperature when serving to allow the flavors to shine.

WINE PAIRING: Gewurztraminer from Alsace, California merlot, Ruby Port.

EXTRA READING: Red Leicester was very popular in the English countryside, but fell out of favor when all the milk from this region was being used to make Stilton cheese. Now Sparkenhoe and a few other small producers are reviving the tradition. Neal’s Yard Dairy is an amazing cheese shop in London. Founded in 1979, it has worked with artisanal cheese makers all over the UK and Ireland to bring high quality, locally made cheeses to the public and to help revive cheesemaking traditions. When I was there a few years ago, they had a small basket with five cloth-wrapped goat cheese rounds – about 4 ounces each – that said read “Cheese made by Mary from Kilkenny.” The cheesemonger said they had just received it, and they only received five every other week, and it was the best goat’s cheese ever. Well, I had to try it — and it was delicious. That is Neal’s Yard Dairy.

WHERE TO PURCHASE: Whole Foods for $32.99/lb.

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