From fancy charcuterie boards to late-night snacking, cheese is always a versatile and delicious choice to nibble on.
However, not all cheeses are created equal, even when it comes to different brands of the exact same kind of cheese, which I recently found out during a taste test I embarked on.
To conduct my experiment, I bought store-brand medium cheddar cheese from some of Canada's most popular grocery stores to see how they compared against each other.
I went to Metro to get their Selection brand (also available at Food Basics), Sobey's to pick up Our Compliments (also available at FreshCo), No Frills to get No Name and President's Choice (which are also available at Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore and Fortinos) and Walmart to get Your Fresh Market. I did look for the Great Value brand while I was at Walmart but was unable to find any cheddar products from them.
The most interesting part of this experiment was the fact that on their own, each cheese tasted like perfectly fine cheddar, but when you eat them all in one sitting, you can truly see the differences between them, which are quite stark.
Here's how I fared with tasting cheddar from Canada's big grocery stores, ranked from worst to best.
Selection brand
400 grams of Selection brand medium cheddar cheese from Metro for $6.99.
I didn't think there was such a thing as bad cheese, but Selection has shown me otherwise.
This cheddar is fatty and creamy, as it should be, but also somehow strangely bitter. After eating all the other cheeses, I came back to try this one again because I told myself it couldn't be as bad as I thought it was, and in comparison to the other, it tasted downright offensive.
It kind of tastes like Buckley's cough syrup (I am unsure how this is possible, to be honest), and I genuinely disliked this option.
Rating: 1/5
Price per 100 grams: $1.75
President's Choice
250 grams of President's Choice medium cheddar cheese from No Frills for $7.79.
Given that this was the priciest cheese per 100 grams, I thought the President's Choice cheese was going to taste top-tier, but it was a letdown.
This cheese tastes quite plastic-y and has significantly less flavour than the others. My boyfriend said to me, "It tastes like Ikea," and I'd have to agree — just super manufactured and functional, not necessarily for enjoyment.
I'd say this is fine for a grilled cheese or to sprinkle on a casserole, but for the price, there are much, much better options out there that are more affordable.
Rating: 2/5
Price: $7.79 (for 250 grams)
Price per 100 grams: $3.12
Compliments
400 grams of Compliments medium cheddar cheese from Sobey's for $4.99.
I didn't love Compliment's cheese, but it's definitely edible.
It feels very bouncy and gummy in an artificial way when you bite into it but has a mild, nice taste with a hint of bitterness and a sour after flavour that you get with certain dairy products.
I wouldn't eat this on its own, but it would be perfectly fine with some crackers for an afternoon snack.
Rating: 2.5/5
Price: $4.99 (for 400 grams)
Price per 100 grams: $1.25
No Name
150 grams of No Name brand medium cheddar cheese from No Frills for $3.49.
The No Name cheese is one of the cheapest in this taste taste, and I'm a big fan of it.
It's chewy, velvety, and has a nice crumble and bounce. For flavour, it simply tastes like a darn good cheddar cheese and also leaves a pleasant aftertaste.
This would be a great cheese to put out on a charcuterie tray for quality that doesn't come at a huge cost, and I'd personally put it shredded on top of a salad or sliced and in a nice sandwich.
Rating: 4.5/5
Price per 100 grams: $1.40
Fresh Market
250 grams of Your Fresh Market brand medium cheddar cheese from Walmart for $6.07.
The winner of this taste test is Your Market Fresh, and while it's on the more expensive side, it's a standout cheddar from the rest.
It's denser, crumblier, sharper and has the right mix of sour and cream taste. It kind of coats your throat, which is delightful, and leaves behind a lingering sharpness.
This cheese tastes fancy and should be eaten on its own so you can enjoy all of its complexities, or paired with a nice red, because wine and cheese are besties for a reason.
Rating: 5/5
Price: $6.07 (for 250 grams)
Price per 100 grams: $2.43
If I were to have to choose which cheese I'd buy again, it would definitely be the No Name cheddar as it had a great flavour and came in at a super decent price. If the price wasn't a factor, I'd opt for Your Fresh Market, but with a two-dollar difference between the two of them, it does feel a little steep.
Even though there were cheeses I disliked, I hate food waste, so I grated up the Selection and President's Choice items, put it in a Ziplock and will keep it in the freezer to add to as a topping for soups or casseroles in the future.
If you're looking for a wine to pair with your cheese, I recently did a taste test of some of the cheapest bottles of white you can find at the LCBO and was very pleasantly surprised to find a few options that I'd definitely buy again.
For nibbling on cheese, I'd say the Toro Bravo Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc DO La Mancha would be a nice complement to most of the products and would help to cut the richness of the dairy since it has a lightly citrus aftertaste and offers a super crisp drinking experience.
Thanks for coming with me on this cheesy journey!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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