Ingredients
Canadian Cheese Guide: Cheddar, Curds, Oka and Beyond
A guide to Canada's best-known cheeses, what makes squeaky cheese curds, and how to use them.
Canada has hundreds of cheesemakers, with Québec and Ontario producing the most. Here are the ones every Canadian cook should know.
Cheddar
Canadian cheddar is aged from mild (a few months) to extra-old and beyond — some are aged five years or more. Old and extra-old cheddars are sharper and more crumbly, great in grilled cheese and mac and cheese.
Cheese curds
Fresh curds are young cheddar before it is pressed and aged. They squeak when fresh because of their elastic protein structure; the squeak fades within a day or two, especially if refrigerated. For [poutine](/recipes/classic-poutine), buy them the day you use them and keep them at room temperature. Full details in our [poutine guide](/blog/ultimate-poutine-guide).
Oka
A semi-soft washed-rind cheese first made by Trappist monks in Oka, Québec, in the 1890s. Nutty and aromatic.
Other Québec styles
- Brie and Camembert styles — soft, bloomy-rind.
- Raclette — melting cheese, great for winter gatherings.
- Ricotta and fresh cheeses from small dairies.
Storage
Wrap hard cheese in wax or parchment paper, then loosely in plastic. Keep soft cheeses in their original wrap and eat within a week of opening.
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