[Sca-cooks] pinto cheese

[ranvaig at columbus.rr.com]

>>Pinto Cheese, hmmm, cheese made from the milk of Pinto horse mares?
>I doubt it. Just as there is little evidence for eating horsemeat in 
>Europe in period, I don't know of any examples of using horse milk 
>in Europe in period. Anyone know of any?
>
>I would think this might apply to a spotted cheese. You see this 
>today when they mix cheddar and a white cheese together. Spotted is 
>what "pinto" means, right? As in the horse or pinto beans.

Orange cheese is artificially colored, usually with annatto which is 
new world. Is there any evidence for bright orange cheese in period? 
Safflower or other dyes could be used for this, but is there any 
evidence that it was?

The mixed cheese is made by mixing dyed and undyed curds.   I believe 
that cutting the curds in that manner is part of the cheddaring 
process, which I don't believe is period.  But I suppose Pinto cheese 
could be speckled in some other way.

Ranvaig