I didn’t say banana? No, wait. That’s not it.

I’m talking cheese, not bananas.

Cheddar cheese in fact. I wanted to know why it is orange. I didn’t think cows gave orange milk. Except apparently it turned out that grass-fed cows do give orangish milk in the spring and summer. Because these bovines make beta-carotene (the carrot color) into the milk.

And that orange cheese was tastier than it’s pale counter part.

Then folks got sneaky. The cheesemakers found Annatto seeds that would die the cheese and make it a consistent color year round, thus fooling the folks into believing it was the spring/summer cheese.

A modern travesty you say? Well, it’s been going on since the 17th century, so how do you define modern?

Cheeses without the Annatto seeds are called white cheese or Vermont cheddar. Why Vermont cheddar? I have no idea. But that’s a blog for another day.

Now, orangen’t you glad you didn’t ask?