Adam and Edam Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cheddar

It was the ideal atmospheric conditions of Cheddar Gorge that allowed this cheese to mature and develop its distinctive, well-enjoyed flavour. Such is its popularity that Cheddar cheese outsells all other cheeses sold in the UK combined! Nowadays, you can still visit Somerset and sample the county's famous cheese created in exactly the same way as it was originally. With the advent of supermarkets, it's probably quicker and easier to nip to your local supermarket and buy one of the many brands of Cheddar cheese, each with varying flavours and maturity.

Answer: Caerphilly

Caerphilly was originally popular with the Welsh miners around the town, as it was able to provide them with some much-needed salt after sweating it out all day working underground. This cheese has been likened to Cheddar in terms of flavour and Wensleydale in terms of "crumbliness".

Despite being a historically Welsh cheese, most Caerphilly sold in UK shops nowadays is produced in England by neighbouring counties like Shropshire.

Answer: Camembert

With a white rind and a yellowy, runny inside, Camembert is a delicious soft cheese that was purportedly first made in the late eighteenth century. When baked, Camembert becomes even gooier and is perfectly accompanied by cranberry sauce and/or crusty bread. On the surface, Camembert looks remarkably similar to Brie, but a connoisseur will be able to tell the difference, the most notable being that Camembert tends to be sold whole while Brie is sold as a cut-out from a larger wheel. Camembert also tends to taste stronger than Brie due to the differences in ripening conditions. Furthermore, both cheeses originate from different regions of France. Believe it or not, camembert also forms part of another terrible cheese-based joke. How do you coax a cheese-loving bear out of his cave? Camembert.

Answer: Gorgonzola

You can't go far wrong in Italy if you're a fan of Gorgonzola. It's a frequent addition to pasta and pizza dishes (thanks to its crumbliness and distinctive flavour) and, if you happen to be like me and mainly have it with crackers, is a great accompaniment to certain red wines. Generally, Gorgonzola includes bacteria of the Penicillium genus, particularly P. glaucum, though it's not unheard of to use P. roqueforti (which is used in the creation of other well-known blue cheeses like Stilton and, indeed, Roquefort).

Answer: Manchego

This zig-zag rinded sheep's milk cheese is popular in Spanish cuisine, but has little in common with other cheeses carrying this name in North America. Spanish Manchego (or, to give it its proper name, Queso Manchego) can produce very different flavours and textures depending on how long it is allowed to mature, ranging from a mild nuttiness to a sharp, crumbly, almost sweet flavour. Because of its production in La Mancha, most Manchego cheese is sold with a picture of literary character Don Quixote on the label.

Answer: Feta

If you were to say to me, "Pick one cheese to eat for the rest of your life", chances are I would choose feta. Its delightfully salty flavour (due in part to it being matured in brine) lends itself extremely well to salads (especially the aforementioned Greek variety), antipasti and pizzas.

Despite its roots in Greece, feta is popular around many of the Mediterranean countries and beyond. Greek feta is traditionally made from sheep and goat milk, though other varieties of feta such as Danish feta (another favourite of mine) is made with cow's milk.

Answer: Halloumi

On its own, halloumi can sort of be described as a cross between feta and mozzarella, the former because of its saltiness and the latter for its colour and texture. Mint complements the flavour of the cheese well and is therefore often seen accompanying the cheese when eaten as is. Because halloumi has such a high melting point, it makes it a prime candidate for frying and grilling.

When cooked, it takes on an almost rubbery texture, and can then be added to salads or other vegetable dishes. Incidentally, pan-fried halloumi and cabanossi makes for an excellent appetiser.

Answer: Gruyere

Swiss cheese fondues almost always feature Gruyere, because of its excellent "meltability" and distinctive nutty flavour. For instance, Vaudoise fondue only features Gruyere, while Neuchâteloise adds Emmental, another Swiss cheese, to the mix. The calorie-packed (but extremely tasty) French snack croque-monsieur also makes use of this Swiss cheese.

When paired with a nice white wine, Gruyere is a delicious addition to any cheeseboard. It's truly a cheese for any occasion.

Answer: Jarlsberg

Jarlsberg, with its trademark red/yellow rind, can be dated back to the mid-nineteenth century. Like Gruyere, Jarlsberg is an ideal cheese to use for snacking and adding to food. Given its appearance, it's quite often mistaken for other cheeses, particularly the aforementioned Emmental as they are both cow's milk cheeses, but Emmental is more likely to have a milder flavour than this Norwegian cheese and, of course, the rind will likely indicate the type of cheese as well.

Answer: Edam

Historically, Edam was extremely popular to take on long sea voyages. Because it is covered in a layer of wax, it helps protect the cheese against external conditions. Edam will only get harder as time goes on, but it is still perfectly edible. This quality made it perfect for storing on ships when there was a long time between landfall. Fruit and Edam makes a great combination and is therefore a staple of the post-dinner cheeseboard. Those of you who snack on the popular Babybel cheese (as I do) will notice that it too is contained inside a red wax casing.

Indeed, Babybel cheese is a form of Edam.