Monterey Jack: Difference between revisions

Monterey Jack
Monterey Jack
Country of origin	United States
Region	California
Town	Monterey
Source of milk	Cows
Pasteurised	Yes
Texture	Semihard, creamy
Aging time	1-6 months
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Monterey Jack, sometimes shortened to Jack, is a Californian white, semi-hard cheese made using cow's milk, with a mild flavor and slight sweetness. Originating in Monterey, on the Central Coast of California, the cheese has been called "a vestige of Spanish rule in the early nineteenth century, deriving from a Franciscan monastic style of farmer's cheese."^[1]^[2]

In addition to being eaten by itself, it is frequently marbled with Colby to produce Colby-Jack,^[3] or with yellow cheddar to produce cheddar-Jack. Pepper Jack is a version flavored with chili peppers and herbs. Dry Jack is a harder cheese with a longer aging time.

Origins

In its earliest form, Monterey Jack was made by 18th-century Franciscan friars of Monterey, Alta California.^[4] California land speculator and businessman David Jacks sold the cheese commercially.^[5] He produced a mild white cheese that came to be known eponymously as "Jacks' Cheese" and eventually "Monterey Jack".^[6] Other ranchers in the area likewise produced the cheese, among them Andrew Molera, who built a successful dairy operation in Big Sur and whose Monterey Jack was especially well regarded.^[7]

Aging

Although most of the softer varieties found in American supermarkets are aged for only one month, "Dry Jack" is a harder variety aged for up to 24 months.^[8]^[9]

Uses

The cheese is commonly used as an interior melting cheese for quesadillas, California-style burritos, and also some Mexican-style burritos ("bean and cheese"). It can also be used on cheeseburgers or for grilled cheese sandwiches. It has a mild flavor and good melting quality for some pasta dishes.

Variants

Dry Jack

Dry Jack was created by accident in 1915, when a San Francisco wholesaler forgot about a number of wheels of fresh Jack he had stored. As World War I intensified and shipments of hard cheese from Europe were interrupted, he rediscovered the wheels, which had aged into a product his customers found to be a good substitute for classic hard cheeses like Parmesan.^[9]^[10]

Pepper Jack

Pepper Jack is a derivative of Monterey Jack flavored with spicy chili peppers, bell peppers, and herbs.^[11]

Headache safety

Because of its low content of tyramine, an organic compound thought to be associated with headaches, Monterey Jack is frequently recommended as one of the few kinds of cheese that is safe to eat for migraine sufferers.^[12]

References

^ Brown, Robert Carlton (1955). "4: American Cheddars". The Complete Book of Cheese. New York: Gramercy Publishing Company. Monterey Jack is a stirred curd Cheddar without any annatto coloring. It is sweeter than most and milder when young.
^ Jones, Bradley J. (2016). "California". In Donnelly, Catherine (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Cheese. Oxford University Press. p. 107. ISBN 9780199330911. OCLC 968303209.
^ Wisconsin Cheese: Colby-Monterey Jack Archived 2018-05-26 at the Wayback Machine. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
^ FWx (ed.). "The Tragic Way Monterey Jack Cheese Got Its Name". Food & Wine. In 1769, Spanish Franciscan Father Junipero Serra ... founded the first California Catholic mission in present-day San Diego. A year later, the second mission was founded at Monterey Bay
^ Bakken, Gordon Morris; Kindell, Alexandra (2006-02-24). Encyclopedia of Immigration and Migration in the American West. SAGE. ISBN 978-1-4129-0550-3.
^ Feldman, David (2006). Why do Pirates Love Parrots? An Imponderables Books. New York: Collins. pp. 53–55. ISBN 0-06-088842-3.
^ McKinney, John (1 July 1990). "History Meets Nature Along This Big Sur Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
^ Fabricant, Florence (May 10, 2000). "The Riches of Spain: Its Cheese; A New Appetite In America". The New York Times. Mahon, a cow's milk cheese from the island of Menorca, with an orange rind, has the kind of nuttiness with buttery overtones you might associate with aged Monterey Jack and is good used just the same way.
^ ^a ^b Vanderveen, Sarah Koops (July 9, 1995). "Special to the Chronicle: Dry Monterey Jack Cheese: What's Old Is New Again". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
^ "Dry Jack". World News. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
^ "Pepper Jack". cheese.com. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
^ "Headaches from Food: The Connection". Medicinenet.com. 2005-03-29. Retrieved 2015-02-26.

External links

Moss, Wendy (1996). "The "True" Story of Monterey Jack Cheese". Monterey County Historical Society.
Dairy Research & Information Center (ed.). "The Legend of Monterey Jack Cheese". UC Davis. Archived from the original on 2016-12-11. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
Dairy Research & Information Center (ed.). "The True Story of Monterey Jack Cheese". UC Davis. Archived from the original on 2016-12-11. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
Bibliography of Dairying in California 1770 to 1945
Archival Materials - Dairying In California 1770 to 1945

[1] Brown, Robert Carlton (1955). "4: American Cheddars". The Complete Book of Cheese. New York: Gramercy Publishing Company. Monterey Jack is a stirred curd Cheddar without any annatto coloring. It is sweeter than most and milder when young.

[2] Jones, Bradley J. (2016). "California". In Donnelly, Catherine (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Cheese. Oxford University Press. p. 107. ISBN 9780199330911. OCLC 968303209.

[3] Wisconsin Cheese: Colby-Monterey Jack Archived 2018-05-26 at the Wayback Machine. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

[4] FWx (ed.). "The Tragic Way Monterey Jack Cheese Got Its Name". Food & Wine. In 1769, Spanish Franciscan Father Junipero Serra ... founded the first California Catholic mission in present-day San Diego. A year later, the second mission was founded at Monterey Bay

[5] Bakken, Gordon Morris; Kindell, Alexandra (2006-02-24). Encyclopedia of Immigration and Migration in the American West. SAGE. ISBN 978-1-4129-0550-3.

[6] Feldman, David (2006). Why do Pirates Love Parrots? An Imponderables Books. New York: Collins. pp. 53–55. ISBN 0-06-088842-3.

[mckinney-7] McKinney, John (1 July 1990). "History Meets Nature Along This Big Sur Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 May 2018.

[8] Fabricant, Florence (May 10, 2000). "The Riches of Spain: Its Cheese; A New Appetite In America". The New York Times. Mahon, a cow's milk cheese from the island of Menorca, with an orange rind, has the kind of nuttiness with buttery overtones you might associate with aged Monterey Jack and is good used just the same way.

[sfgate-9] Vanderveen, Sarah Koops (July 9, 1995). "Special to the Chronicle: Dry Monterey Jack Cheese: What's Old Is New Again". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-04-13.

[10] "Dry Jack". World News. Retrieved 2021-04-13.

[11] "Pepper Jack". cheese.com. Retrieved 24 December 2016.

[mednet-12] "Headaches from Food: The Connection". Medicinenet.com. 2005-03-29. Retrieved 2015-02-26.

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@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | caption =
 | othernames =
-| country = [[United States]]
+| country = United States
 | regiontown =
 | region = [[California]]
 | town = [[Monterey, California|Monterey]]
-| source = [[Cows]]
+| source = Cows
-| pasteurised = No
+| pasteurised = Yes
 | texture = Semihard, creamy
 | fat =
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 | weight =
 | aging = 1-6 months
-| certification =
 }}
-'''Monterey Jack''', sometimes shortened to '''Jack''', is a Californian white, [[semi-hard cheese]] made using cow's milk. It is noted for its mild flavor and slight sweetness. It has been called "an American original" and "as a vestige of Spanish rule in the early nineteenth century, derives from a Franciscan monastic style of farmer's cheese."<ref>{{cite book
+'''Monterey Jack''', sometimes shortened to '''Jack''', is a [[California]]n white, [[semi-hard cheese]] made using cow's milk, with a mild flavor and slight sweetness. Originating in [[Monterey, California|Monterey]], on the [[Central Coast (California)|Central Coast of California]], the cheese has been called "a vestige of [[The Californias|Spanish rule in the early nineteenth century]], deriving from a Franciscan monastic style of farmer's cheese."<ref>{{cite book
 |chapter-url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14293/14293-h/14293-h.htm#Page_37 |title=The Complete Book of Cheese |chapter=4: American Cheddars |last1=Brown | first1 =Robert Carlton |publisher=Gramercy Publishing Company |location=New York |date=1955 | quote=Monterey Jack is a stirred curd Cheddar without any annatto coloring. It is sweeter than most and milder when young.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Oxford Companion to Cheese |chapter=California |last=Jones |first=Bradley J. |page=107 |editor1-first=Catherine |editor1-last=Donnelly |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2016 |isbn=9780199330911 |oclc=968303209 }}</ref>
-In addition to being eaten by itself, it is frequently [[Marble cheese|marbled]] with [[Colby cheese|Colby]] to produce [[Colby-Jack]],<ref>[http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/cheeses/16/colby-monterey-jack Wisconsin Cheese: Colby-Monterey Jack] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526185828/http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/cheeses/16/colby-monterey-jack |date=2018-05-26 }}. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.</ref> or with yellow [[Cheddar cheese|cheddar]] to produce ''cheddar-Jack''. ''[[Monterey Jack#Pepper_Jack|Pepper Jack]]'' is a version flavored with [[chili pepper]]s and [[herb]]s. ''Dry Jack'' is a [[Hard cheese|harder cheese]] with a longer aging time.
+In addition to being eaten by itself, it is frequently [[Marble cheese|marbled]] with [[Colby cheese|Colby]] to produce [[Colby-Jack]],<ref>[http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/cheeses/16/colby-monterey-jack Wisconsin Cheese: Colby-Monterey Jack] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526185828/http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/cheeses/16/colby-monterey-jack |date=2018-05-26 }}. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.</ref> or with yellow [[Cheddar cheese|cheddar]] to produce ''cheddar-Jack''. ''[[Monterey Jack#Pepper Jack|Pepper Jack]]'' is a version flavored with [[chili pepper]]s and [[herb]]s. ''Dry Jack'' is a [[Hard cheese|harder cheese]] with a longer aging time.
 == Origins ==
-[[File:Sonoma Dry Jack.jpg|thumb|left|A wedge of dry aged Monterey Jack, known as Dry Jack]]
+[[File:Sonoma Dry Jack.jpg|thumb|A wedge of dry aged Monterey Jack, known as Dry Jack]]
-In its earliest form, Monterey Jack was made by 18th-century [[Franciscan]] friars of [[Monterey, California|Monterey]], [[Alta California]].<ref>{{cite web | url  =http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/food/tragic-way-monterey-jack-cheese-got-its-name| title=The Tragic Way Monterey Jack Cheese Got Its Name| editor=FWx| publisher=Food & Wine| quote=In 1769, Spanish Franciscan Father Junipero Serra ... founded the first California Catholic mission in present-day San Diego. A year later, the second mission was founded at Monterey Bay}}</ref> California businessman [[David Jacks (businessman)|David Jacks]] sold the cheese commercially.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Bakken|first1=Gordon Morris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I6Q5DQAAQBAJ&dq=david+jacks+sold+cheese+commercially&pg=PT376|title=Encyclopedia of Immigration and Migration in the American West|last2=Kindell|first2=Alexandra|date=2006-02-24|publisher=SAGE|isbn=978-1-4129-0550-3|language=en}}</ref> He produced a mild white cheese that came to be known [[eponym]]ously as "Jacks' Cheese" and eventually "Monterey Jack".<ref>{{cite book|title= Why do Pirates Love Parrots? An Imponderables Books|last= Feldman|first= David|author-link= David Feldman (author)|year= 2006|publisher= Collins|location= New York|isbn= 0-06-088842-3|pages= [https://archive.org/details/whydopirateslove0000feld/page/53 53–55]|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/whydopirateslove0000feld/page/53}}</ref> Other ranchers in the area likewise produced the cheese, among them Andrew Molera, who built a successful dairy operation in [[Big Sur]] and whose Monterey Jack was especially well regarded.<ref name=mckinney>{{cite web|last1=McKinney|first1=John|title=History Meets Nature Along This Big Sur Walk|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-07-01/travel/tr-668_1_big-sur-river|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=12 May 2018|date=1 July 1990}}</ref>
+In its earliest form, Monterey Jack was made by 18th-century [[Franciscan]] friars of [[Monterey, California|Monterey]], [[Alta California]].<ref>{{cite web | url  =http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/food/tragic-way-monterey-jack-cheese-got-its-name| title=The Tragic Way Monterey Jack Cheese Got Its Name| editor=FWx| publisher=Food & Wine| quote=In 1769, Spanish Franciscan Father Junipero Serra ... founded the first California Catholic mission in present-day San Diego. A year later, the second mission was founded at Monterey Bay}}</ref> California land speculator and businessman [[David Jacks (businessman)|David Jacks]] sold the cheese commercially.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Bakken|first1=Gordon Morris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I6Q5DQAAQBAJ&dq=david+jacks+sold+cheese+commercially&pg=PT376|title=Encyclopedia of Immigration and Migration in the American West|last2=Kindell|first2=Alexandra|date=2006-02-24|publisher=SAGE|isbn=978-1-4129-0550-3|language=en}}</ref> He produced a mild white cheese that came to be known [[eponym]]ously as "Jacks' Cheese" and eventually "Monterey Jack".<ref>{{cite book|title= Why do Pirates Love Parrots? An Imponderables Books|last= Feldman|first= David|author-link= David Feldman (author)|year= 2006|publisher= Collins|location= New York|isbn= 0-06-088842-3|pages= [https://archive.org/details/whydopirateslove0000feld/page/53 53–55]|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/whydopirateslove0000feld/page/53}}</ref> Other ranchers in the area likewise produced the cheese, among them Andrew Molera, who built a successful dairy operation in [[Big Sur]] and whose Monterey Jack was especially well regarded.<ref name=mckinney>{{cite web|last1=McKinney|first1=John|title=History Meets Nature Along This Big Sur Walk|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-01-tr-668-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=12 May 2018|date=1 July 1990}}</ref>
 ==Aging==
-Although most of the softer varieties found in American supermarkets are [[cheese ripening|aged]] for only one month, "dry Jack" is a harder variety aged for up to six months.<ref>{{cite web
+Although most of the softer varieties found in American supermarkets are [[cheese ripening|aged]] for only one month, "Dry Jack" is a harder variety aged for up to 24 months.<ref>{{cite web
 | url  =https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/10/dining/the-riches-of-spain-its-cheese-a-new-appetite-in-america.html?pagewanted=all
 | title=The Riches of Spain: Its Cheese; A New Appetite In America| last1=Fabricant| first1   =Florence| website=[[The New York Times]]| date =May 10, 2000
-| quote=Mahon, a cow's milk cheese from the island of Menorca, with an orange rind, has the kind of nuttiness with buttery overtones you might associate with aged Monterey Jack and is good used just the same way.}}</ref>
+| quote=Mahon, a cow's milk cheese from the island of Menorca, with an orange rind, has the kind of nuttiness with buttery overtones you might associate with aged Monterey Jack and is good used just the same way.}}</ref><ref name="sfgate" />
 == Uses ==
-The cheese is commonly used as an interior melting cheese for California-style burritos, but also some Mexican-style burritos ("bean and cheese"). It can also be used on cheeseburgers or for grilled cheese sandwiches. It has a mild flavor and good melting quality for some [[pasta dish]]es.
+The cheese is commonly used as an interior melting cheese for [[quesadilla|quesadillas]], California-style burritos, and also some Mexican-style burritos ("bean and cheese"). It can also be used on cheeseburgers or for grilled cheese sandwiches. It has a mild flavor and good melting quality for some [[pasta dish]]es.
 ==Variants==
 === Dry Jack ===
-Dry Jack was created by accident in 1915, when a [[San Francisco]] wholesaler forgot about a number of wheels of fresh Jack he had stored. As [[World War I]] intensified and shipments of [[hard cheese]] from Europe were interrupted, he rediscovered the wheels, which had aged into a product his customers found to be a good substitute for classic hard cheeses like [[Parmesan cheese|Parmesan]].<ref name=sfgate>{{cite news |first=Sarah Koops |last=Vanderveen |url=http://articles.sfgate.com/1995-09-27/food/17816429_1_cheese-dry-jack-chefs |title=Special to the Chronicle: Dry Monterey Jack Cheese: What's Old Is New Again |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=July 9, 1995 |access-date=2021-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cheese.com/dry-jack/ |title=Dry Jack |publisher=World News |access-date=2021-04-13}}</ref>
+Dry Jack was created by accident in 1915, when a [[San Francisco]] wholesaler forgot about a number of wheels of fresh Jack he had stored. As [[World War I]] intensified and shipments of [[hard cheese]] from Europe were interrupted, he rediscovered the wheels, which had aged into a product his customers found to be a good substitute for classic hard cheeses like [[Parmesan cheese|Parmesan]].<ref name=sfgate>{{cite news |first=Sarah Koops |last=Vanderveen |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Dry-Monterey-Jack-Cheese-What-s-Old-Is-New-Again-3023526.php |title=Special to the Chronicle: Dry Monterey Jack Cheese: What's Old Is New Again |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=July 9, 1995 |access-date=2021-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cheese.com/dry-jack/ |title=Dry Jack |publisher=World News |access-date=2021-04-13}}</ref>
 === Pepper Jack ===
@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 Pepper Jack is a derivative of Monterey Jack flavored with spicy [[chili pepper]]s, [[bell pepper]]s, and [[Rosemary|herbs]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Pepper Jack|url=http://www.cheese.com/pepper-jack/|website=cheese.com|access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref>
-=== Blends ===
+==Headache safety==
+Because of its low content of [[tyramine]], an [[organic compound]] thought to be associated with [[headache]]s, Monterey Jack is frequently recommended as one of the few kinds of cheese that is safe to eat for [[migraine]] sufferers.<ref name=mednet>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56109 |title=Headaches from Food: The Connection |publisher=Medicinenet.com |date=2005-03-29 |access-date=2015-02-26}}</ref>
-Additional flavor and visual appeal is created by marbling with [[Colby cheese|Colby]] (making [[Colby-Jack]]) or a yellow [[cheddar cheese]].
-==Headaches==
-Because of its low content of [[tyramine]], an [[organic compound]] thought to be associated with [[headache]]s, Monterey Jack is frequently recommended as one of the few cheeses that is safe to eat for [[migraine]] sufferers.<ref name=mednet>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56109 |title=Headaches from Food: The Connection |publisher=Medicinenet.com |date=2005-03-29 |access-date=2015-02-26}}</ref>
 ==See also==
@@ Line 80: / Line 77: @@
 [[Category:Tex-Mex cuisine]]
 [[Category:Agriculture in California]]
+[[Category:Californian cuisine]]

v t e American cheeses
Types	Baby Swiss Bergenost Brick Cheese curd Colby Colby-Jack Cream cheese Creole cream cheese D'Isigny Farmer Hoop Humboldt Fog Kunik Liederkranz Maytag Blue Monterey Jack Muenster Pinconning Red Hawk String
Regions	Wisconsin cheese

v t e Cheese
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Animal milk	Camel Cow Goat Moose Reindeer Sheep Water buffalo Yak
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Special designations	European cheeses with protected geographical status Greek Italian
Organizations	American Cheese Society International Cheese Awards Lucerne Cheese Festival Mountain Cheese Olympics National Cheese Exchange Swiss Cheese Union The Great British Cheese Festival
List articles	Cheese dishes Cheesemakers Cheeses Blue cheeses Goat milk cheeses Sheep milk cheeses Stretch-curd cheeses Water buffalo cheeses
Miscellaneous	Cheesemaking Cheese ripening Cheese soup Dairy salt The Moon is made of green cheese Truckle Tyromancy
Category: Cheese Cheese dishes Cheesemakers List of cheeses