Green cheese is a

fresh cheese There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most co ...

that has not thoroughly dried nor aged, which is white in color and usually round in shape. The ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a co ...

'' gives a reference from the year 1542 of the four sorts of cheese. The first sort is green cheese, which is not called "green" because of its color but for its newness or under-ripened state, for the

whey Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of har ...

is not half pressed out of it yet. The phrase is not commonly used to describe the color of a cheese, though there are some cheeses with a greenish tint, usually from mold or added herbs. There are other instances in which the word "green" is used to mean "new", such as in the term "

greenhorn Greenhorn is a slang for an inexperienced person, or a slur against Portuguese people in New England, United States. It may also refer to: Places * Greenhorn, California, United States * Greenhorn Mountain, a mountain in Colorado * Greenhorn, ...

", which refers to an inexperienced person.

In popular culture

The phrase "

the Moon is made of green cheese "The Moon is made of green cheese" is a statement referring to a fanciful belief that the Moon is composed of cheese. In its original formulation as a proverb and metaphor for credulity with roots in fable, this refers to the perception of a s ...

" refers to the similarity in appearance of a typical round, green cheese and the full Moon. It is commonly misinterpreted to mean that the Moon is green, which isn't the case. (The surface of the Moon is quite dark and could be described as having the color of old, weathered black asphalt.)

John Maynard Keynes John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes, ( ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. Originally trained in ...

made a reference comparing a green cheese to the moon in his 1936 book ''

The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money ''The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money'' is a book by English economist John Maynard Keynes published in February 1936. It caused a profound shift in economic thought, giving macroeconomics a central place in economic theory and ...

''. The exact meaning of the sentence is debated, but the equating of the moon with a green cheese is clear: There is a popular saying in Scotland, "You can't see green cheese go past you." This means that you must have whatever someone else has just for the sake of having it. For example, a child's friend may get a bike and although the child is unable to ride a bike, they will pester their parents to buy one. The following West Frisian language shibboleth makes reference to it: "Bûter en brea en griene tsiis, hwa't dat net sizze kin is gjin oprjuchte Frys." meaning "Butter and bread and green cheese, who can't say that is no true Frisian."The History of English: A Linguistic Introduction. Scott Shay, Wardja Press, 2008, ,

Cheeses that are green

The veins of most blue cheese are in fact a dark bluish-green. There are several varieties of cheese which are actually green or pale green in color. Green cheese varieties include: * Cherni Vit - Green cheese from Bulgaria * Sage Derby *

Schabziger Schabziger () or sapsago is traditional cheese exclusively produced in the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Schabziger is made out of the skimmed cow milk and a special kind of herb, blue fenugreek (''Trigonella caerulea''), also called blue m ...

- Swiss green cheese * Y Fenni - Welsh green cheese Other cheeses exist which are wholly or partly green due to the addition of herbs.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green Cheese Cheese