Double Smoked “Not Your Average Cheddar” Cheese (Aldi) Review
Author’s Note: The following review is my own silly opinion. I don’t work for Aldi. Nobody paid me to write this review. I have no affiliation with Emporium Selected nor Not Your Average Cheddar brand. No cheese was harmed in the making of this review. Well, maybe not.
Smokey the Bear would like a word.
Whoa.
I mean. Whoaaaaaaa!
Aldi isn’t lying when they call this “Double Smoked.” This cheddar cheese is smokier than a California forest fire. It’s almost TOO smokey — and I say that with a sense of awe. A single slice features an intense bonfire taste that I can feel all the way down my throat and behind my nostrils.
I would have named this “Dragon Cheese.” But nobody asked me. Hmmph!
Flavors
For savory foods, smokiness is one of my favorite flavors. I’m delighted to see that there are no added flavors — not even “natural” ones — in this cheese, so I assume the cheddar was indeed traditionally “smoked.” Hooray.
Incidentally, it appears each small block was smoked separately, due to the deep tan color of the outer rind. Extra hooray.
Now, if you DON’T like smoked flavors, I can see this going terribly wrong. The smokiness would be offensively strong. A deal-breaker, probably. Don’t buy this if you hate smoked food. Just, don’t. Leave it for the rest of us. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Softness
This cheddar is softer than I expected — especially for being an aged, “semi-hard” cheese. It’s much softer than the Aldi Truffle Cheddar I previously reviewed (you can read my slightly eccentric review of it here). The softness makes it more pliable for sandwich contours. It’s also faster-melting.
Sharpness
I would describe this cheese as neither mild nor particularly sharp-tasting. It’s a “moderate” cheddar. If this cheese was a registered voter, it would be an Independent. It would buy Taylor Swift tickets AND support corporate tax cuts.
That lack of tangy sharpness is not immediately evident, however, underneath the much more aggressive smoked flavor. I think that’s what surprised me most — I was anticipating a VERY sharp, firm cheese. But I got a softer, gentler one. I like it, though.
What did I do with my Double Smoked Cheddar?
I ate my smoked cheddar on a grilled cheese sandwich (made with Aldi’s Take & Bake Italian Bread, of course — you can read my review of it here).
The cheese melted quickly and was wonderfully stretchy and appropriately oozy. Enjoyably, the cheese got crispy and browned where it touched the frying pan surface. Mmmm! The smoked flavor was much less aggressive when eaten with the thick buttered bread. But still satisfyingly present.
I also ate this cheese grated over a broccoli and cauliflower vegetable medley. The strong smoked flavor is sturdy enough to stand up to just about any recipe without getting “lost.”
If I buy this again, I’d like to try it in a quiche. I think the smokiness would be fabulous with the creamy, savory custard base.
(I also tried some Suckerpunch Dill Pickles on my smokey grilled cheese, which was extra tasty. Highly recommend.)
But mostly, I snacked on this cheese. This is a stellar snack cheese. It would be ideal on a charcuterie board.
Other potential uses? Give a whole block to a firefighter as a gag gift.
Is naturally-smoked food healthy?
Maybe you are wondering the same thing I am: are there health benefits to eating naturally smoked foods?
Sadly, it is the opposite. According to the Cleveland Clinic, smoked meats AND cheese have known health risks, such as colon or stomach cancer. Super bummer! This article from Science Direct goes more in depth on the carcinogenic compounds that can be found on the surface of smoked foods. And here’s an article from the National Institute of Health that dives into specific tests of different smoked cheeses.
The Cleveland Clinic suggests cutting off the smoked outer rind, which is where most of the unhealthy compounds concentrate. The smoked rind is my favorite part, so I’m not happy about this. At all.
Here is the rind that I cut off, and then ate anyway:
I’m not ready to give up my favorite smoked foods, so I’ll just keep enjoying in moderation! Everything in moderation, including moderation?
Ingredients in Aldi Double Smoked Cheddar Cheese
Here are the ingredients from the label:
- Cultured Pasteurized Milk
- Salt
- Microbial Enzymes
Yup. This is a short and stellar ingredient list. No added flavors, natural or otherwise. I approve.
Nutrition Facts in Aldi Not Your Average Double Smoked Cheddar
I mean, it’s cheese. The Nutrition Facts are pretty standard:
A 1 ounce serving has 110 calories. There are 9 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein. There’s no fiber, and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates. You get a little sip of calcium, with 15% of your daily value. There’s only 8% of your daily value of sodium per serving.
Shelf-life
For a mature, semi-hard cheese, this one has a relatively short expiration date — I bought mine in September, and it expires in January. It’s delicious enough this will never be a problem.
Aldi Seasonal Item
This is an Aldi seasonal item, so it isn’t available year-round. I found mine in stores in the late summer/early fall.
Price and Servings in Double Smoked Not Your Average Cheddar
The 7 ounce block cost about $4 at my local Aldi. For the taste and quality, this is a bargain.
Since there are seven 1-ounce servings per block, each serving costs about 57 cents.
“Not Your Average Cheddar” is a subset of Emporium Selection, which is an Aldi brand. Some other varieties of this cheese include:
- Cheddar + Parmesan
- Grass-Fed Cheddar
- Cheddar + Gruyere
Dramatic Conclusion
This Double Smoked Cheddar is my favorite cheese from Aldi so far. It’s not for the faint of heart, however. For a lover of strong smoked flavors, this would be a perfect treat. It’s priced very competitively, but it doesn’t have an especially long shelf-life. Due to health concerns involving smoke contaminants, I won’t be buying a dozen blocks at once. Although, it is tempting.
The End.
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