Traditional Welsh Caerphilly

Appearance & taste

Traditional Welsh Caerphilly is a flat, round cheese of 2 to 4 kg and 20 to 25 cm in diameter; it also comes in miniature form. It is sold “naked”, that is, not bound in cheesecloth. The outside is smooth and intact and may have a slightly mouldy rind, which was traditionally dusted with fine oatmeal or flour. The paste is uniformly creamy white, smooth, fine-grained and flaky, with small differences from cheese to cheese, as with any artisan product.

When young the cheese tastes mild and slightly “lemony”, with a fresh, lingering aftertaste and a fresh cheese aroma. With ripening the taste becomes more pronounced and fuller but stays mild. The fat content is 45 to 55 % in dry matter.

Production

The milk comes from dairy farms in Wales whose cows are fed mainly on grassland forage; it can be organic or conventional, raw or pasteurised. Salt, calf rennet and starter cultures are added. The cheesemaker checks the firmness of the curd by hand and cuts it with a knife into large cubes so that fat and moisture are retained. Curd and whey are scalded at a lower temperature than for other hard cheeses; the cheesemaker checks the acidity at every stage.

When the curd has the right moist, soft, velvety consistency, it is broken into walnut-sized pieces and filled into moulds by hand. At first it is pressed only with light pressure (1.5 bar), so that it keeps its shape and no cream is lost. It is salted in brine or dry before moulding. The cheese is then stored and ripens. All steps from milk production to ripening take place in Wales.

Origin & history

According to the specification, soil and climate make Wales one of the best countries for growing grass. The maritime climate brings a long growing season, high, evenly distributed rainfall and warm south-westerly winds; dairy farms have on average 300 days of grass growth a year. Cows in the lowlands can graze for up to ten months a year and even indoors eat mainly stored grass from the same pastures.

The specification calls the cheese historically the only native cheese of Wales; the necessary skills developed from the early 19th century. In the 19th century dairy schools were set up all over Wales. Notes by the student Mari Jones from the “travelling” dairy school in Pencoed, Bridgend, in 1927 show that Caerphilly was made in many parts of South Wales. The weekly market in Caerphilly became known for the quality of its cheese, above all thanks to Edward Lewis, who introduced a grading system: cheese that met it received a round stamp with “Caws Cymru”, “Caws Pur” and “Genuine Caerphilly Cheese” around a picture of Caerphilly Castle. In 1960 the characteristics of the cheese were included in the NACEPE grading system for butter and cheese.

From 1939 to 1945 production was prohibited; because of rationing, only long-keeping cheeses such as Cheddar could be made. In 1953 the ban was lifted, and some Welsh dairies resumed production. Before modern storage methods, the ripened cheese was an important staple food in the winter months. The specification explains the oatmeal for dusting by the fact that oats grew well in the wet, cool climate of Wales.