How Traditional Red Leicester Cheese Is Made In the UK | Regional Eats

Red Leicester is a raw-milk, nutty, sweet cheese with a citrus finish. But no doubt what makes it stand out is its bright orangey-red color. The cheese is deliberately turned this vibrant hue with a natural coloring called annatto. It doesn’t contribute to the flavor of the cheese, so why is it added? We visited Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co. to find out.
For more, visit: leicestershirec...
MORE REGIONAL EATS VIDEOS:
How Authentic Feta Cheese Is Made In Greece | Regional Eats
• How Authentic Feta Che...
How One Of Portugal’s Rarest Cheeses Is Made On A Remote Volcanic Island | Regional Eats
• How One Of Portugal’s ...
How One Of Italy's Rarest, Most Expensive Cheeses Is Made | Regional Eats
• How One Of Italy's Rar...
------------------------------------------------------
#Cheese #RegionalEats #FoodInsider
Insider is great journalism about what passionate people actually want to know. That’s everything from news to food, celebrity to science, politics to sports and all the rest. It’s smart. It’s fearless. It’s fun. We push the boundaries of digital storytelling. Our mission is to inform and inspire.
Subscribe to our channel and visit us at: www.insider.com
Food Insider on Facebook: / foodinsider
Food Insider on Instagram: / thisisinsiderfood
Food Insider on Twitter: / insiderfood
Insider on Snapchat: / 2708030621
Food Wars on Snapchat: / 9045577297
Insider on TikTok: / insider

[@miikop]

“Eyes in the cheese” Claudia’s done enough of these cheese videos that she can bring new information to the cheesemakers. Another great video from her

[@TocsTheWanderer]

Blessed are the cheesemakers.

[@johnr797]

@@TocsTheWanderer they're not cheesemakers, they're very naughty boys

[@bonzkid]

@@TocsTheWanderer not just the cheese makers but all manufacturers of dairy products.

[@Dr.Quarex]

I studied abroad in Leicester for a year once, and Red Leicester was one of many things I took away from that experience to appreciate for the rest of my life. Really different cheeses are a good 50% of those experiences but I had lots of fun too

[@raynmaker]

i studied in leicester for a term too! and as a cheese lover, that was truly a wonderful experience for me lol.

[@frogstamper]

I've eaten red leicester for over thirty years and never realized that the red colour was just there for show, I always thought it was part of the cheese making process that it was this colour. Great video.

[@johnr797]

Same with cheddar

[@amitkumaramitkumar6076]

Ll MLM

[@ExoticS_TM]

@@johnr797 in Australia we use white cheddar and its wonderful the melting temperature is lower perfect for burgers and grilled cheese

[@johnr797]

@@ExoticS_TM sounds good but not sure what that has to do with annatto? In Canada we use white cheddar too

[@aaroncutting]

It's very similar to the coloring added to Wisconsin cheddar to give it the vibrant orange coloring

[@gpulitini666]

Besides food coloring, Anatto was and still being used by natives from central to south America as traditional red color body painting, it's called URUCUM here in Brazil, they also use the leafs as medicine by chewing or making tea. The red fruit is said to have lot of c vitamin and other good substances. Indigenous people eat it as healthy food... So if you use it in these cheese, you are improving not only with color, but with other good stuff...

[@JohnHausser]

American 🧀 : I’m great for 🥪 Red Leicester 🧀 : Hold my 🥛

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

"Let's call this cheese RED Leicester for its bright *yellow* color".

[@Raiden_N7]

The word for "orange" came into the English language relatively late. Before then anything that colour was simply referred to under the umbrella of "red." It's why ginger people, with their bright coppery hair, are still referred to as "red-heads."

[@scottwhitley3392]

Red was used for anything yellow orange red and purple on English up until quite recently

[@skyworm8006]

​@@Raiden_N7 Yeah basic colour words and their ranges vary quite a lot between languages and different time periods. It can be hard to understand what colour a historical text actually means. Globalisation means the colour ranges are increasingly much the same so it can be confusing when this doesn't hold.

[@valentyn.kostiuk]

As a redhead should I from now on be named "brightyellowhead"?

[@weiweiwang2638]

@@valentyn.kostiuknah

[@fredlacroix6865]

annatto plant (seeds) has the most potent form of tocotrienols (vitamin E)

[@kuzadupa185]

Shes the only one wearing a mask and still doesnt understand.... thankfully she has a refreshing personality

[@zennus1]

I know right, it's like... let it go ffs...

[@iamjosef3d]

She’s brainwashed. England woke up ages ago!

[@ViewByRay]

How about consider her own free-will she wants to wear a mask ? Her wearing a mask does not affect you in any way so stfu

[@may.d.a.y]

Yall stay so mad 🤣

[@crabmansteve6844]

Red Leicester is a fantastic cheese for grilled cheese, and I like 1 part Red Leicester in my mac'n'cheese too.

[@-Osiris-]

We need more of these with Claudia

[@MagikManz]

yummy

[@yanu3778]

nice 😊👍😊

[@nairda55555]

Is that säkkijärven polkka playing in the background at the start?

[@kdogggggggggggg]

its looks like a crown prince pumpkin with the green skin and golden orange flesh

[@RepubliKING]

I'm from Wisconsin and I can assure you, squeaky cheese is no joking matter around here. 😁

[@johnr797]

Ontario here, squeak is essential

[@truebluekit]

I wonder how much milk is used by that factory every day.

[@lt530]

I never tire of people and their preferences lol. Dude didn't want his cheese to fall through the cracks, so he dyed it... and it worked! People eat the "new" cheese with no complaints, and a classic is born. I genuinely love stories like this one.

[@kevinlee6983]

P. I

[@paulf7567]

american cheddarz

[@jdturnier8539]

Same here.

[@elainejohnson796]

Interestingly tho' - annato is linked to behavioural problems and intolerances I think. You can also be allergic to it. It's not completely harmless.

[@Viewbob_True]

Rationing really killed a lot of what was great about British food, I'm glad these methods are coming back in a big way.

[@BigWaders]

Almost makes you wonder what may have been lost to time forever.

[@user-ps2sg8qr2k]

@@BigWaders Damaskus, the original Damaskus from Damsyik, native pre colonalization country architecture, etc, maybe there's even extinct race that we don't know existed, because they die from plague or invasion, or really just have a very bad luck and time to existed

[@EsteffersonTorres]

I'm from the northeast of Brazil and that food coloring is widely used here, especially on stews. The plant has many names and here in my region is called "Urucumzeiro" and its fruit is the "Urucum". The seeds of the fruit are ground, originating a powder of vibrant red color. There's a type of cheese made in Brazil called "Queijo do Reino" or "Kingodm's Cheese", which, if I'm not mistaken, also uses anatto.

[@joannawillett3885]

Thank you for that information. I love learning more when individual ingredients are from and what the other uses are. Awesome 👌

[@thecheesescientist]

Love a good Red Leicester. Unfortunately, most commercial versions have got no flavour. Seek out this Sparkenhoe Red Leicester for a traditional cheese made with raw milk.

[@VideoNOLA]

Do you know if it's sold in the U.S.?

[@thecheesescientist]

@@VideoNOLA it is seasonally available at some speciality cheese shops. Worth asking the question from your local monger.

[@videofudge]

Name checks out

[@tdb7992]

Red Leicester is easily one of my favourite cheeses. It's really popular here in Australia, but most British foods are.

[@spudgun4286]

Only thing I could get when I live there was ‘tasty’ cheese. It was not tasty at all 😢

[@kampradooka5024]

@@spudgun4286 gotta go to the farms and factorys and such, supermarket cheeses are pretty generic over here but as someone who lived in bega i can say the farm has a much bigger variety than the shop. Also i agree, spuermarket tasty cheese is just rubber haha

[@scottwhitley3392]

Wensleydale with cranberries and Shropshire blue cheese are my favourite. Can take the piss out a lot of British foods but cheese is certainly not one of them

[@cptntwinkletoes]

Red Lester isn't popular in Australia at all

[@Seddius]

@@cptntwinkletoesagree. If they are we would have red tasty in the supermarket.

[@GoldenFrizbee]

Fun fact: MSG occurs naturally in cheese :) Calcium lactate crystals also offer a fun mouthfeel. I prefer my cheese aged and this is quite common in aged Gouda.

[@gorillachilla]

Let uncle Roger know

[@shukshinite]

Uncle Roger would be proud

[@xSCHEF]

Gouda is underrated because it’s so freaking common nowadays. But aged Gouda is still one of the best cheeses available!

[@GoldenFrizbee]

@@xSCHEF When I'm not looking for an aged cheese I usually go for Muenster, Havarti or Gloucester. I'm not a big fan of smoked gouda either I much prefer it aged 😍

[@johnr797]

@@shukshinite fuyoooooo

[@GraceWhip]

"Our American friends will know about this." I grew up near Tillamook and yes, squeaky cheese is fantastic! And very funny the first time you eat it.

[@NaomiVirshbo]

YEEEEEEEEEAH I LOVE THE TILLAMOOK FACTORY

[@warriormaiden9829]

Hallelujah, someone else knows that name!! Growing up, we always knew it as squeaky cheese. I moved to a different state, walked into the closest grocery store with a decent cheese section, asked if they kept squeaky cheese in stock....and got looked at like I had a second head. 😭 My husband had no idea what I was talking about when I told him, and it wasn't until we visited family back in my home state that he got to try some. He almost cried when we had to go back home. 😆 It was sheer luck that he found a place that sells it down here. He's a local trucker, and was assigned to a run that he has yet to do again. It was to a local cheese factory, and he and his boss stopped in for a snack at the shop. Lo and behold, there's an entire *rack* of the stuff. He walked out the door with about 8 pounds of the stuff, and his boss jokes that he has a cheese addiction. 🤣🤣

[@llab3903]

@@warriormaiden9829 what American hasn’t heard tillamook

[@warriormaiden9829]

@@llab3903 I'm not talking about the brand Tillamook. I'm talking about the term 'squeaky cheese'. Most people seem to know it under the name 'cheese curds'.

[@HarekaTysiri]

Claudia is getting better and better in each episode! I love her! And i love cheese! So i hope one day i could meet her and talk about cheese 😂

[@gigteevee6118]

Definitely the best food channel, Claudia rules!!!

[@beverlyandsebaiyaman9787]

The cheese master's accent was heart warming, my grandmother was from Leicester...

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

Claudia needs to do her food hygiene course. Picking up food, putting it down then picking up another to eat. Wearing NAIL VARNISH in a food factory? Touching her dirty mask and eating, then not washing her hands? Funny these mask wearers (when no one else is wearing one) acting so superior, yet watch their behaviour - no self awareness of their poor hygiene. In a factory like that: wash hands whenever touching face, no nail varnish, if you must wear a mask - change it every time you touch it and for god sake wash hands every time you touch the mask!!!!

[@val-xo7ud]

In Mexico we mix chile guajillo with salt and rub it on a hard cheese or fresco. It gives it good color and flavor as well as preserving.

[@daveprice5911]

red Leicester is my favourite cheese in the whole world. I wish I could get it in germany :(

[@SaraLevins]

After moving to another european country from England, i deeply miss Red Leicester. They don’t have it anywhere! 😢

[@tmackie1694]

Red Leicester is a SUPERB cheese. My favourite hard(ish) cheese (with Stilton being my favourite soft cheese) … can’t beat those British Midlands cheeses 😀 🇬🇧

[@dextersynesterformerlysorb5334]

Take your mask off, gimpy

[@gudfaderncc]

Claudia, the best foodie on YT 😍

[@mrCetus]

Red Leicester is easily one of my favourite cheeses. It's really popular here in Australia, but most British foods are.

[@Zeihara]

Is it expensive?

[@paulwagner688]

Achiote also has a distinct flavor. I would call it the "saffron of the Americas".

[@MYERZ08]

Agreed. You can taste it, very slightly, in cheese of this quality. Your supermarket variant not at all.

[@marvindiego1958]

The Philippines which is the only Spanish colony in Asia also adopted it..It is called atsuete here and there are trees. We also used it as food coloring for food and soup.

[@brunolondinese5857]

But achiote is it not Anatto plus various other spices?

[@karlbryanison2660]

Ulul

[@gonzoducks8]

Achiote is just anato. Nothing else is added to it. You can buy it in seed, paste, or liquid form.

[@Andr359404]

Fun fact: annato is called axiote in Mexico and is famously used in cochinita pibil, which is probably Yucatán's most famous dish. If you go to Cancún, try and have some authentic cochinita to taste annato used in a completely different form.

[@pjacobsen1000]

When I hear 'Red Leicester', I am immediately reminded of the Monty Python cheese sketch.

[@samueltrifan8228]

Stilton used to be my favorite British cheese, until I tasted Red Leicester for the first time last year. Absolutely love it. 🤤

[@gorillachilla]

2 different world you crazy guy

[@xander1052]

I was brought up on the cheaper mild Red leicester blocks, tempted to get some of a more aged variety now.

[@theautisticgamer1860]

It's all I buy 825g for £3.75

[@scottwhitley3392]

Shropshire blue or Wensleydale with cranberries for me 😮‍💨

[@llab3903]

@@theautisticgamer1860 how much is that in freedom units

[@The_Deacon1942]

I love these episodes! You do an amazing job explaining what cheese is all about. Thank you.

[@AquaticStarchild]

Claudia is an excellent host. It is like Christmas when they upload one of her videos.

[@DarrenBoss1984]

Easily one of my favourite cheese.

[@GypperySlipsy]

Double masked in the factory but please stick your fingers and hands into our food

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

While touching her dirty mask and not washing her hands. While wearing red nail varnish

[@000kuwait]

كرهوني بالجبن بسبب شحم الخنزير كنت اتمنى ان تبعد اي شحوم او شي متعلق بالخنزير ومنتجاته خاصه ان اغلب المسلمين يكرهون ويحرمونه

[@MYERZ08]

Beautiful cheese, certainly not halal or kosher.

[@xander1052]

How not?

[@toasteddingus6925]

AHAAAAA!!!!! THIS VIDEO CREATED AN UPROAR IN MY FAMILY we all have a very gaudy holyer than thou aunt well mine was a snob and WOULD NOT SHARE HER LEICESTER RED AND NOW WE KNOW THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT IT

[@DragonRidingHood]

Great job but she shouldn’t have dipped her finger in the dye and having nail polish on in an environment where food is prepared is against health and safety regulations.

[@sharonrichy777]

she just said she doesnt need nail polish, she just has to dip her finger in the dye to get the colour. she never said she has nail polish on

[@gracewsho]

@@sharonrichy777 you can see her nail polish 💀

[@k.l.7968]

I've been scrolling through the comments to try to find someone talking about this... it really bothered me!! ://

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

Yet there she is acting superior in her dirty mask she keeps touching without washing her hands.

[@urmum3773]

You're all mental

[@loicdassier5485]

Can she take off that ridiculous mask please

[@HPMTube1991]

Your behavior is more animly than actual animal!! Keep this way and the next generation will be humonkies, destroying everything and sense will be absolutely gone!

[@jojojoji24]

*So you are watching all the "making of food" KZbin is recommending after the video ends*

[@kyleparrish532]

Why is she double masked...?

[@shoal2242]

Claudia my love 😍🥰seeing you after so many days. Love you cheesy girl🥰😘

[@TheOneRealDJ]

The host seems a little awkward

[@menacetosociety6825]

They couldn't find anyone else to conduct the interview that spoke English properly?

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

She’s a poor presenter

[@sarahsmith3271]

Why is no one wearing gloves?

[@aznamoon1111]

Very cool video. I’m all about traditional methods, but I would be interested in knowing what it tasted like without the larding method and then compare the two 🧀 ☺️

[@popehentai]

lol is she actually wearing two masks?! what a clown.

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

While wearing red nail varnish. Touching her dirty mask and not washing her hands. Utterly vile

[@zennus1]

lmao I know right

[@CamAteUrKFC]

Red Leicester is popular here in Canada aswell, although Cheddar is still by far the most common.

[@fnjesusfreak]

I'm not sure I remember ever seeing Red Leicester on your side of the ditch, when I used to go to Canada all the time. :o

[@CamAteUrKFC]

@@fnjesusfreak It's becoming more popular I should say. We're starting to see more and more euro cheeses here since we opened up the canadian dairy market a couple of years ago. The big fear was we would be bombarded by cheap american cheese, but that doesnt seem to have been the case.

[@johnr797]

@@CamAteUrKFC our dairy cartel is still alive and well, I'm sure they colluded to make sure the Americans couldn't effectively enter the market in major grocery stores, but if you have a cheese shop nearby you could probably find some American cheeses. The increased availability of European cheeses is great though, but expensive like every other food here.

[@avalonthompson4685]

Nail polishhh, no gloves, licks hands. ✨contamination✨

[@JustAGuyWhoLikesStuff.]

"Salty and squeaky. Our American friends will know about this."

[@jackecola]

Nobody saw her finger in the colorant?!?

[@labratd22]

Lovely red nail varnish handling the cheese. A massive no-no in the food industry. Surprised they didn't make her wear gloves

[@ValerieFire]

That was my reaction. Came to the comments looking to see if anyone else noticed

[@MrSimonj1970]

Hot Italian girls don't have to follow rules, duh!

[@EsoteriaHealing]

It was just for 1 video so they didn't say anything

[@sailorarwen6101]

I’ve never worked anywhere that was actually strict about that rule. Which is a shame because I agree it’s gross. I’ve worked food service and healthcare and in both fields people have fake nails and chipping polish and even have their hair down and in their face. It’s disgusting

[@californiacupcake8580]

I’m not too worried about that when I’m already seeing big ass hairy arms in the process as well 🤮

[@sockpuppets7256]

this is my favorite cheese ever.

[@FatosunMutfagi]

Thanks for the excellent sharing.

[@Jabberwok28]

I do love all English cheeses, but whenever I see anything about them I always think of the Monty Python Cheese Shop sketch.

[@caminojohn3240]

Love that traditional cheese making is coming back from the dead.

[@drrrrzz9145]

great stuff

[@ja-bv3lq]

Claudia Romero is one of the most charismatic and gorgeous food-show hosts I've seen in decades! ❤ you, Claudia! Keep up the fun, entertaining and educational episodes!!!

[@SaadNabil]

Say Cheese! 📸🧀

[@quinnw6795]

Lol 😂 you beat me to it. I was gonna say that lol. Well done 👍

[@DB-su5qp]

Only tasted Red Leicester recently and these new (longer maturation) and traditional ones are really good. Its a favourite now and added to the cheese rotation.

[@FFRS110]

Everytime she tries something she picks up a piece then puts it down and gets another piece and eats it

[@AlexSmith-qw3nl]

It’s a bit like cheddar although it’s more mild and buttery

[@skyemorningstar166]

Sounds delicious

[@Filbie]

Would love to see a video on Cotswold cheese! It’s my favorite! ☺️☺️

[@naturelover9716]

Working with a very strong dye: "and I manage to spill it all over the place...." Wearing all white...

[@rockisgood111]

At 2:53 she says "American friends won't know about this" lol. Wisconsin cheese curds beg to differ. I've tried them both, it's almost the same thing

[@niksack]

These cheese is definetly not halal

[@TheOvervoid]

People in the comments be like: "Interesting video but MASK" bro why tf do you care? Why tf does it matter? Just watch the cheese video! The nail varnish though. She should have worn gloves.

[@albertorocca1069]

Parmigiano n1 Gorgonzola n2 Mozzarella n3 Pecorino n4 Burrata n5...... Red Chees ne59 ...

[@pakistanifoodslover]

Nice 👍

[@Simon-pg1bm]

Beautiful Leicesterchestershire-on-Soar-in-east-Midlands-in-England-in-Europe-on-planet-Earth

[@reema.1096]

*RED LEICESTER CHEESE IS SO UNDERRATED?!!!!*

[@victorsantos9884]

Anato, colorau, urucum. They are the same thing, very common here in Brazil

[@Chr.U.Cas1622]

👍👌👏 Simply fantastic again and always when this great reporter does the documentation. Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing. Best regards luck and health to all involved life forms (humans, cows and microorganisms). ;-)

[@reginabillotti]

"Marigold or carotene"... did they have a way of isolating carotene or did that just mean carrot juice?

[@miaw.9751]

This is awesome! And to see that younger people have gotten into the craft is wonderful 🤗

[@manperor_32b8]

Watching people talk about “meaty” flavor and shit for cheese just blows my mind because it’s sounds like their talking out of their ass to sound more refined.

[@iurirafael]

Question. When u get to the step to "split" the milk. can u use any acid ??? i would like to try with coffe/coffe beans. would it be possible ??

[@jasonwilson7921]

no one else have a problem with the fact that this woman is wearing PPE whislt dipping her grubby finger nails into that dye then adding it toa huge batch of cheese, cheese that i will mostly likely serve to my family and thank her for her finger nail flavoring.

[@vicentecastro7148]

Awesome...

[@afiqamran860]

Whats harrowing is the handling of the cheeses w/out gloves. Knowing full well that these people dont wash their hands after going to the loo. Yuck!

[@raiyanibrahim2489]

Claudia Romeo in the headcap looks like Aladeen from 'The Dictator'.

[@gilanggilang9859]

Leicester City FC

[@karlcarlsburg9641]

Anyone else see Red Leicester and immediately think of Chris from BA struggling to recreate a burger?! 🤓

[@TheWiseGrif]

Absolutely, i was hoping i wasn't the only one

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

I was sitting in the public library on sermon street when I suddenly came over all peckish

[@adrianmagera2216]

This guys are a disgrace for cheese makers....all that colour,french an italian cheese will always be the best

[@Alvin_dussoye]

and that batch of cheese contained pieces of purplish nail polish. Thanks Food Insider

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

And constantly touching the dirty mask. A mask which should be changed every time you touch it, and hands washed afterwards.

[@iii9804]

Uh yuh call me mite cheese I feel breeze on my milben but wheres the idk even know how to spell cheese in German so heres my shot kazque milbenkazeh?

[@Nyan4Eon]

Why is so much cheese dyed orange to be more appealing to the consumer... Who cares about color

[@KearaLaChelle]

Why aren’t these people wearing gloves?!?!?!

[@krod432]

Red Leicester cheese, with a slice of Melton Mowbray Pork pie. Perfect XD

[@pinkishangel1724]

Ccccc how they touching the cheese 🧀 without gloves 🧤..it's unhealthy..

[@user-yv2qr4xt9]

does the larding process make this cheese unsuitable for vegetarians?

[@thebrutaltruth460]

I am having this as I'm watching the video. It sure is squeeky and salty