Cheddar Gorge is in Somerset, in south-western England, with the small town of Cheddar sited at the foot of the gorge. It is a steep, meandering canyon that cuts through limestones that were deposited in a shallow tropical sea over 300 million years ago. The gorge was formed by the erosive action of meltwater rivers during the last Ice Age, and the water now flows underground through the limestone, forming a series of spectacular caves and caverns. Some of these caves contain archaeological evidence of human occupation, and a 9,000 year-old human skeleton ("Cheddar Man") was discovered in the early 20th century.
Using cheddar cheese in a dish
cheddaring
Cheddaring is part of the process of making cheddar cheese. After the curds are formed, they are placed in a colander over warm whey for about an hour. The curds meld together, and the texture becomes creamy.
Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese originally made in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset. Cheddar cheese is the most popular cheese in the United Kingdom, accounting for 51% of the country's £1.9 billion annual cheese market. Cheddar cheese is produced in many countries across the world, but only cheese produced in the English counties of Somerset, Devon, Dorset, and Cornwall may be given the EU Protected Designation of Origin name "West Country farmhouse Cheddar".
According to various sites the cheese powder can be made by melting the cheese and mixing in water to produce a slurry. The cheese slurry is then sprayed on a drier to produce the powder. Commercial product may have additives such as colour, preservatives, anti-clumping agents, artificial flavour and fillers depending on the quality of the product.