Raclette Gex (or "Bleu du Haut Jura) and Morbier, both PDO are used as variants. Raclette Raclette is a semi-hard cheese that is usually fashioned into a wheel of about 6 kg (13 lb). The Alpine cow milk based dairy product is most commonly used for melting, but is also consumed as a slice. Raclette is a Savoyard (French) as well as Swiss dish based on heating the cheese and scraping off (from French: ) the melted part. Raclette was mentioned in medieval texts from Swiss-German convents dating from as early as 1291. The cheese was originally consumed by peasants in
Cheddar cheese not protected by the European Union, though the name "West Country Farmhouse Cheddar" has an EU protected designation of origin, and may only be produced in Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, using milk sourced from those counties. Cheddar is usually sold as mild, medium, mature, extra mature or vintage. Mature cheddar is the best-selling variety in the UK. Cheddar produced in Orkney is registered as an EU protected geographical indication under the name "Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar". The state of Wisconsin produces the most cheddar cheese in the United States; other centres of production include: California, Idaho, Upstate New York,