Sage Derby is a variety of

Derby cheese Derby cheese is a mild, semi-firm British cow's milk cheese made in Derbyshire with a smooth, mellow texture and a buttery flavour. Like most of the traditional British hard cheeses it was produced exclusively on farms and was typically sold at a ...

that is mild, mottled green and semi-hard, and has a

sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

flavour. The colour is from sage and sometimes other colouring added to the

curd Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as l ...

s, producing a marbling effect and a subtle herb flavour. The colour is formed either by mixing sage leaves into the curd before it is pressed or by the addition of "green curd" from green corn or spinach juice. In the latter case, the flavour has to be created with colourless sage extract. Parsley, spinach and marigold leaves, bruised and steeped before use, can also be included instead of the sage leaves. It is aged for one to three months.

History

The first production began in the seventeenth century in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Sage Derby was initially only made for festive occasions such as harvest time and Christmas, but it is now available all year.

References

* English cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses {{cheese-stub