What Sets Longhorn-Style Cheese Apart From Colby

Cheddar, Stilton, chèvre (the unique cheese you need on your next charcuterie board), camembert — apart from making your mouth water, the different types of cheese available are enough to make your head spin. But some of them are a little more straightforward than others. Longhorn-style cheese, for example, is often mistaken for being the same thing as Colby, and it's time to set the record straight.

Colby cheese, which was first created in 1885 in a small Wisconsin town named Colby, is semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that is moist and creamy with a mild taste. With a beautiful orange color, this cheese's popularity is eclipsed only by its incredible versatility, as it can be used in a variety of ways — like slicing it for burgers or sandwiches, cubing it for a stunning cheese board, shredding it on top of a salad, or mixing it into a casserole for a deliciously melty concoction. And to top it off, it also comes in different shapes, like a brick, a wheel, and even a longhorn.

If you think longhorn is merely a U.S. steakhouse with low overall prices or a breed of American beef cattle, you aren't exactly wrong, but it also refers to a style of forming cheese that has long been associated with Colby. When a longhorn cheese is being made, the cheese is pulled into a long log, resembling a half-moon or, more fitting to the name, a horn. Cheeses formed into longhorns are known for having more elasticity, allowing for them to be stretched into a log. From there, the log is cut up into smaller pieces and packaged for distribution. 

Longhorn cheese actually comes in many varieties, including Colby. You can also find longhorn cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, and the beautifully marbled Colby-Jack. The elasticity of these cheeses makes them ideal for recipes that need some ooey-gooey melting cheese, like mess-free tomato grilled cheese, fondue, and casseroles.