Designated Cheeses

At some point you may have picked up a cheese with a stamp or seal displaying the letters  AOC, DOC, DOP, or PDO. Thoughts run through your head and you ask yourself, " is this a mysterious cheese code, and what do these initials even mean?"

This is what it stands for:

French AOC (Appellation d' Origine Controlee)

Italian DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)

Spanish/Portuguese DOP (Denominacion de Origen Protegida)

PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)- for some wines and foods

Although it may seem like a secret cheese language, it is actually a system of legally protecting the authentic and traditional cheese making methods of certain European cheeses These designations are a way of identifying the cheeses backed by tradition and distinguishes itself from the imitations. Designated cheeses have very specific production procedures, from the area where the milk is derived, to the physical appearance of the cheese. This is can get quite detailed, but you get  the idea. It's a way of preserving ancient artisan cheese making and we can't get mad at that, can we?  ;)

Photography Credit: The Manchego Cheese