Bitto Cheese vs Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese

Bitto Cheese is a fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year cow and goat-milk cheese from Italy, while Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese is firm but malleable; smooth and closed; extra mature may have a slightly brittle texture with lactate crystals and made from cow milk.

What Is Bitto Cheese?

Bitto is a raw-milk PDO cheese from the alpine pastures of Sondrio in Lombardy, made only between 1 June and 30 September from cow's milk, sometimes with up to 10 percent goat's milk. Young wheels taste mild and sweet, and some are aged for years.

What Is Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar is a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) cheese made in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It is crafted using local milk and a unique dry stir technique developed in 1984, which gives it a firm, dense texture. The cheese matures for 6 to 18 months, creating medium, mature, and extra mature varieties with savory, nutty flavors. The production process includes hand-salting the curd for even distribution and controlled maturation for consistent quality. Orkney Cheddar has won multiple awards and is known for its excellent melting properties. It is available in both white and colored forms, with the latter containing a vegetable-based pigment.

What's the Difference Between Bitto Cheese and Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

• Milk type: Bitto Cheese (Cow's milk primarily, with non-mandatory addition of raw goat’s milk up to 10%), Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese (Cow)
• Milk treatment: Bitto Cheese (Raw), Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized)
• Texture: Bitto Cheese (fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year), Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese (Firm but malleable; smooth and closed; extra mature may have a slightly brittle texture with lactate crystals)
• Rind: Bitto Cheese (smooth, 2 to 4 mm thick, straw-yellow turning brownish yellow with age), Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese (None)
• Aging: Bitto Cheese (Minimum of 70 days), Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese (6 to 18 months)
• Taste: Bitto Cheese (mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age), Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese (Savory and nutty with varying sharpness depending on aging)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Bitto Cheese Taste Like Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

Bitto Cheese reads as mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age, while Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese brings savory and nutty with varying sharpness depending on aging character. More specifically, Bitto Cheese shows cooked at 118–126°f, finely cut curd, matured for a minimum of 70 days, while Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese leans toward moderate sharp acid notes, rounded with savory and nutty undertones. Aging plays into this as well. Bitto Cheese at minimum of 70 days develops a different profile than Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese at 6 to 18 months.

Can You Substitute Bitto Cheese for Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

Bitto Cheese can stand in for Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year bite and body where the recipe calls for firm but malleable; smooth and closed; extra mature may have a slightly brittle texture with lactate crystals. Flavor-wise, Bitto Cheese reads as mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age while Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese brings savory and nutty with varying sharpness depending on aging notes.

Which Is Better, Bitto Cheese or Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year cheese, go with Bitto Cheese. For a firm but malleable; smooth and closed; extra mature may have a slightly brittle texture with lactate crystals profile, Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Bitto Cheese suits recipes that want mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age notes, while Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese fits dishes calling for savory and nutty with varying sharpness depending on aging.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bitto Cheese the same as Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Bitto Cheese is made from cow and goat milk; Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Bitto Cheese is typically aged minimum of 70 days, Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese 6 to 18 months.

Is Bitto Cheese similar to Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.

Can I substitute Bitto Cheese for Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.

Does Bitto Cheese taste like Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

Bitto Cheese reads as mild and sweet when young, stronger and spicier with age, while Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese is savory and nutty with varying sharpness depending on aging.

What is Bitto Cheese made of?

Bitto Cheese is made from cow and goat milk (raw), using calf rennet. It's typically aged minimum of 70 days. It originates in Italy.

What is Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese made of?

Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese is made from cow milk (pasteurized). It's typically aged 6 to 18 months.

Which should I choose, Bitto Cheese or Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Bitto Cheese is fine-grained, sometimes with very few small holes; hard cheese from one year, while Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar Cheese is firm but malleable; smooth and closed; extra mature may have a slightly brittle texture with lactate crystals.