The fall season is officially with us, and here in Canada we can truly boast of some of the most glorious and colorful autumn landscapes. Yes, the leaves turning to bright orange; a glowing yellow; or a smoldering red can be breathtaking to say the least.

With me, there are moments when any such contemplation drifts over to visions of cheese. Many people consider the color of cheese to be an afterthought, but it is true… cheese can generally be one of three colors: orange; yellow; or white.

Orange: The deep orange color most people assign to cheddar and mimolette actually comes from annatto – a seed from the South American achiote tree. A flavorless liquid extract is made from it and the orange pigment (bixin) is then added directly to the milk.

Yellow: Cows milk cheese will usually be anywhere from a pale yellow/cream to a deep yellow/straw. This color is derived from the natural milk which is furthermore affected by the diet of the cow. Cows absorb B-carotene, which is fat soluble and yellow in color, thus ending up in the milkfat. This is retained and concentrated during cheesemaking.

White: If a cheese is stark white, chances are that it is goat milk cheese. Goats (and sheep to some degree) don’t deposit carotene into their milk. Rather, they break down the natural B-carotene into a colorless vitamin A. This leaves their milk, and hence their cheese, a snowy white color.

We at La Jolie hope that everyone enjoys the best that this beautiful season offers… gorgeous scenes to savor and to remember; family gatherings to share and to cherish; and of course, some colorful choices of cheese to round it all out. Happy Thanksgiving to All!