My other Church

I went to my other Church this morning (17th January 2015).   It is known to the public as "Trader Joe's".

My plan was to buy no more, nor less than their high quality canned dog and cat food. Sinner that I am,  I allowed my eyes to wander over the cheese section.

I gave into my food lust and bought 1lb 10oz of "Cave Aged Cheddar Cheese".  I could hardly resist, for the label stated "Aged in the famous Wookey Hole Caves".
 
Wookey Hole is a village near Wells, Somerset, U.K.  Although I have visited Wells and its splendid Cathedral many times, I have never gotten to the famous caves at Wookey Hole (even though the village is a mere nineteen miles away from my natal City of Bristol).
 
But I have been to Cheddar, Somerset, U.K. many times; to enjoy the famous gorge, (and as a school-boy on a field trip)  to enter the limestone caves with their marvelous stalactites. (I have seen similar caves with stalactites in Lebanon). 
 
Cheddar is eighteen miles away from Bristol.  It is, of course the original home of the entirely famous Cheddar Cheese.
 
Since Cheddar and Wookey Hole are more or less local for Bristolians, my regional pride meant that I chose not to resist the impulse to buy some Cheddar Cheese which had been aged in the Wookey Hole caves.
 
Odd ain't it?  That is:  it's odd to purchase English made and aged Cheddar Cheese in an American store some 4350 miles from Cheddar/Wookey Hole.  Makes my West Country English heart beat proudly!
 
Here (from the web) is a photo' of Cheddar Cheese being aged in the Wookey Hole caves.
 
 
 
 
 
And here's a bit of the history of Cheddar Cheese (via Wikipedia).
 
The cheese originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, South West England. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese. Cheddar cheese traditionally had to be made within 30 miles (48 km) of Wells Cathedral.
 
Cheddar has been produced since at least the 12th century. A pipe roll of King Henry II from 1170 records the purchase of 10,240 lb (4,640 kg) at a farthing per pound (totaling £10.13s.4d., about £10.67 in decimal currency). Charles I (1600–1649) also bought cheese from the village.
 
Romans may have brought the recipe to Britain from the Cantal region of France.
 
Central to the modernisation and standardisation of cheddar cheese, was the 19th century Somerset dairyman Joseph Harding.  For his technical innovations, promotion of dairy hygiene, and volunteer dissemination of modern cheese-making techniques, he has been dubbed "the father of cheddar cheese".
 
Harding introduced new equipment to the process of cheese-making, including his "revolving breaker" for curd cutting, saving much manual effort.
 
The "Joseph Harding method" was the first modern system for cheddar production based upon scientific principles. Harding stated that cheddar cheese is "not made in the field, nor in the byre, nor even in the cow, it is made in the dairy". He and his wife were behind the introduction of the cheese into Scotland and North America. His sons, Henry and William Harding, were responsible for introducing cheddar cheese production to Australia[ and facilitating the establishment of the cheese industry in Australia and New Zealand respectively.
 
 
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