Huffington Magazine Issue 41 | Page 86

Exit TASTE TEST HUFFINGTON 03.24.13 A Quest for the Best Budget Cheddar in the East BY KRISTEN AIKEN F YOU EAT a lot of cheese (and we eat a lot of cheese), spending $30 per pound of cheddar isn’t always an option. The key is to save expensive cheeses for special occasions — fondue night or cheese plates, for example — but opt for the supermarket brands when it’s time for a no-fuss grilled cheese (though, truth be told, sometimes we do like to make fancy grilled cheese). So which brand of supermarket cheddar should you reach for when you want something affordable? We hit the supermarkets and rounded I PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAMON DAHLEN up a collection of the most widely available cheeses on the East Coast (though you’ll find many of these nation-wide, as well). Then we conducted a blind taste test of 11 cheeses, judging primarily based on flavor, sharpness and texture. What’s the lesson we learned from this? Sadly, one very popular brand ended up at the bottom of the barrel, with all three of that brand’s varieties ranking at the tailend of our list. On the brighter side, another brand came out as a clear and dominant winner. Check out the results below to find out who we’re talking about. As always, this taste test is in no way sponsored or influenced by the brands included.