How is the cheese smoked?
The traditional smoking is done at a local smokehouse. Fully matured Lincolnshire Poacher cheese is cut into 1kg (2lb) wedges. It is then placed on racking and cold smoked for about 24 hours over dampened oak chips. The oak chips are dampened so that they give off lots of smoke, which in turn infuses the cheese giving it that distinctive flavour and colour. Most smoked cheeses that you see in the supermarkets are not actually smoked but have the flavour added (they call it liquid smoke) and then they are covered in colouring to make it look like it has been traditionally smoked.
