CHEDDAR GORGE, CHEDDAR CHEESE, I can still smell something cheesy from here !

We just returned home from our weekend escape into the countryside, and it's still ''cheddary'' here ! Ian, Jamie and I went to Cheddar, Somerset on Friday and stayed in a Farmhouse B&B ( my first time in a B&B ) and the scenery was just great. The '' fresh '' air in the countryside was good for our lungs coz' we had cows just right in front of the farmhouse :)

On Saturday, it was our day out to the Cheddar Gorge and Caves, and the caves are simply unbelievable. It is cathedral-like and we took some good pictures in there. Here are some of the pics that we've taken.

A little bit about Cheddar :

Cheddar is unique. Its distinguishing feature is the natural phenomenon of Britain's largest Gorge. Gough's Cave is an internationally famous archeological site because of its Late Upper Paleolithic finds (12-13,000 years old) and contained Britain's oldest complete skeleton (9,000 years old). Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD.

A bit about the Chedddar Gorge Cheese Company :
This is how they make their authentic Cheddar Cheese, and we paid an entrance fee to watch them make it !

The requirements of a truly authentic Cheddar cheese are:
- It should be made from unpasteurised milk taken from cows grazing in the lush pastures surrounding Cheddar. The pastures influence the milk and the milk determines many of the key characteristics of the cheese
- Made and cheddared by hand using the cheesemaker's skill and experience rather than a mechanised process
- Matured in cloth for 12 months + to produce a rind and, more importantly, to allow the gradual change in texture of the cheese to take its effect on flavour development. This happens differently in vacuum matured cheese.

We had a taste of a vintage cheddar, and ian liked it. A bit too strong for me, but I like mature cheddar best !