Kitchen Dictionary: Red Leicester

Traditionally made in a large wheel, Red Leicester is a rich, reddish colored cow's milk cheese with a flaky and slightly open texture and mellow flavor. Its beautiful, rich color was largely responsible for the cheese's popularity in the Victorian period, caused by the use of annatto, a tasteless vegetable dye extracted from a plant in South America. Red Leicester is famous for making perfect Welsh rarebit due to its exceptional melting qualities. Before the Second World War it was known as just "Leicester." At the end of the war the cheese was reintroduced to the British food market and renamed "Red Leicester" to give it some difference.

Ethnicity: English Ingredient

Season: available year-round

Matches well with: fruit, beer