Extra Cheese Trivia Quiz

Answer: U.S.A.

Monterey Jack is a cow's milk cheese, so-called because it was originally made by the Franciscan friars of the Monterey monastery in California.

The "Jack" part of the name is taken from the businessman David Jack who first sold the cheese commercially. His soft, white cheese was called "Jack's Cheese" and finally "Monterey Jack".

Answer: France

Crottin de Chavignol is probably the best known of all the Loire goats' cheeses.

There are various explanations for its description as 'crottin' but my French friends assure me that the genuine one is due to the finished cheese's similarity in appearance to an animal dropping!

Answer: England

Not as obscure as it once was (mainly due to its being name-checked in a Wallace and Gromit film), Stinking Bishop is a Gloucestershire cheese which owes its unusual appellation to the pear of the same name. The cheese is washed in a perry (= pear cider) made from these pears every four weeks during maturation to increase moisture content and to encourage the bacterial activity which gives the finished cheese its powerful smell.

I am currently banned by Mrs. jon541 from keeping Stinking Bishop in the familial refrigerator!

Answer: The Netherlands

Gouda is another cow's milk cheese which, as the name suggests, hails originally from the city of Gouda in the South Holland province of the Netherlands.

It is reputed to be one of the oldest known cheeses in the world.

Answer: Switzerland

Raclette is known primarily for its properties as a melting cheese, traditionally having been roasted and scraped onto bread when at the right consistency.

These days, in countres like France and Switzerland, it is possible to buy a specialist Raclette grill from supermarkets making this cheese a great choice for social get-togethers since it can be roasted at the table on the grill and mixed with various side dishes (potatoes, vegetables, charcuterie etc.)

Answer: Italy

Mozzarella is traditionally made using Italian buffalo milk.

Indeed, it received special certification from the European Union in 1998, requiring that all cheese labelled as Mozzarella and sold within the EU *must* be made according to this traditional method.

Answer: Spain

Manchego is a sheep's-milk cheese made only from sheep of the Manchega breed.

To meet the European Union's PDO status requirements (Protected Designation of Origin), the cheese has to have been made *only* with Manchega milk, *only* within designated parts of the La Mancha region, have been aged within a min and max range, and pressed within a mould of a min and max size.

Answer: Norway

Jarlsberg is a cow's milk cheese hailing from the eponymous region of Norway but also produced under licence in other countries.

It has a yellow wax rind and a semi-firm white-to-yellow interior marked by regular medium-to-large holes. The taste is mild, buttery and slightly nutty.

Monty Python fans will recall that it features in the Cheese Shop sketch, sandwiched between Emmenthal and Liptauer!

Answer: Germany

This is the tricky one to get right, as the name sounds Italian, probably because this is a fairly recent cheese with a portmanteau name since it was designed to combine the textures and tastes of a French soft cheese like Camembert with an Italian Gorgonzola.

It was patented by the large German company Champignon in the 1970s.

Answer: Greece

Feta is a popular sheep's-milk cheese made with brined curd. It is crumbly in texture and frequently eaten with salads and other cold dishes.

Since 2002, it has enjoyed EU PDO status (Protected Designation of Origin) ensuring that it is made accordng to traditional methods and ingredients and only within its traditional 'home' region.