Colby-Jack

Colby-Jack, or Co-jack/Cojack, is an American marble cheese made from Colby and Monterey Jack. It is classified as semi-hard in texture and is mild due to its two-week aging process. It is generally sold in a full-moon or a half-moon shape when it is young. The flavor of Colby-Jack is mild to mellow. Colby-Jack cheese is mainly produced in the states of Wisconsin and California. It is used in various dishes or as a topping to be melted. These dishes include burgers, pasta bakes, macaroni and cheese, and casseroles, among others.

==Origin== The name Colby-Jack comes from the combination of the names of the two kinds of cheese it is made from, Colby and Monterey Jack cheese. Colby cheese originates in Colby, Wisconsin, and was created by Joseph F. Steinwand in 1885. Monterey Jack cheese originates from Monterey, California, and was made by Mexican Franciscan Friars during the 1700s. Colby-Jack cheese was then processed by marbling the two kinds of cheese together. It was not made at a large scale until the 20th century when the cheese became more popular and moved out of Wisconsin to larger areas of the United States (See Factory manufacturing). Before it was made on a large scale, the small, wooden building in Wisconsin only made of cheese each day. At this time, Colby-Jack was pressed into a long-horn shape and dipped in wax.