# Cheese in Canada



## Miss_History (Mar 8, 2014)

I've been in Canada for 6 months now and 1) can't wait for spring! 2) need some cheese-related advice.

I'm pretty sure Canadians in the UK would have just as many problems with British cheese, but I've yet to find Canadian cheese I like - at the moment we're getting Red Cross parcels from home! In the UK, cheddar is white (almost universally) and I like really mature, sharp cheddar with the calcium crystals in it - I've yet to find any cheddar in Canada that isn't orange and tastes like plastic. The mozarella here tastes identical to the cheddar and looks the same except being white - I love mozarella balls (even the sainsbury's basics ones were pretty awesome!) and although I've found bocconcini in an 'Italian' cheese store here, it was pretty much tasteless. I also love (though I think I might be getting a bit unrealistic) French chevre, with white rind and oozing middle when it's ripe...

So - any ideas about where I could find (in the Toronto area) anything like British cheddar, Italian mozarella or French chevre? 

Of course, this is all a matter of taste and I am trying as much as possible to embrace Canadian culture - I just can't quite cope with Canadian cheese yet!


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

I don't know where you're doing your cheese shopping but there's plenty of good cheese outlets in the TO. I don't know whereabouts in Toronto you're located but there's the Cheese Boutique, Alex's Farms, St.Lawrence Market(has a number of cheese counters). Costco sells good sharp cheddar under the Balderson name along with some Welsh cheddar. 
Canadian cheddar cheese is well renowned and good quality. You can buy both white and the orange colours, I prefer the white myself. 
Cheese is expensive here compared to the UK. It's because of the protection afforded the dairy industry, particularly in Quebec, but the Canadian Government recently announced some relaxation of the regulations.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Miss_History said:


> In the UK, cheddar is white (almost universally) and I like really mature, sharp cheddar with the calcium crystals in it - I've yet to find any cheddar in Canada that isn't orange and tastes like plastic.


Cracker Barrel and Black Diamond make white cheddar. Buy the old or extra old for a mature, sharp taste. The orange versions of those taste the same as the white ones.





> The mozarella here tastes identical to the cheddar



In my experience this isn't even remotely close to being true.





> So - any ideas about where I could find (in the Toronto area) anything like British cheddar, Italian mozarella or French chevre?



The cheddars I mentioned above are available in nearly ever grocery store. There are also all kinds of specialty cheese stores and delis which will serve specialty cheeses in the Toronto area. Try the Yellow Pages or maybe a Google search (although that will require sorting through a bunch of other results).


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

I agree with the posters above. Canada has fantastic cheese, you are just buying the cheap crap. 750g of good cheddar should cost $18+.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Liam(at)Large said:


> I agree with the posters above. Canada has fantastic cheese, you are just buying the cheap crap. 750g of good cheddar should cost $18+.



You can get Cracker Barrel or Black Diamond for a lot less than that when on sale (usually around $4.99).


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

colchar said:


> You can get Cracker Barrel or Black Diamond for a lot less than that when on sale (usually around $4.99).


They would both fall into the crap category.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Liam(at)Large said:


> They would both fall into the crap category.



No, actually, they wouldn't. For reasonably priced cheese they are actually decent (if you buy old or extra old) and are a lot better than much of the other mass market cheese out there. They are not deli or specialty shop standard, but for stuff from a grocery store they are OK and are certainly better than their competitors.


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## Eugene182 (Mar 11, 2014)

It'd be better just to go down to the States, get a whole bunch of cheese and put it in a freezer. It's twice as expensive in Canada due to subsidies to dairy farmers


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

Eugene182 said:


> It'd be better just to go down to the States, get a whole bunch of cheese and put it in a freezer. It's twice as expensive in Canada due to subsidies to dairy farmers


I believe you are only allowed to import $20 a time.


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

Try the Grande Cheese Company locaated on Yonge St in Richmond Hill and on Keele St in Maple. I have heard from some Italian friends that it has great cheeses. Also several stores in Stl Lawrence Market have good cheeses. There is also at least one cheese store, as I recall, in Kensington Market that also has good cheeses. Also do a search on Yelp for cheese stores in toronto area. There are lots...


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