Pass The Cheese Please

In the new world of sweet, fruity, citrus, ice cream, and cake-flavor cannabis strains it might be easy to forget about the classic cheese varieties. Cheese strains have managed to stand the test of time, even in the contemporary era of ultra-potent cannabis genetics.

The Cheese strain is undoubtedly one of the classic cannabis varieties. The cultivar has a complex origin story that starts in the United States and ends in the United Kingdom. While the modern era has brought about strains with record-breaking THC levels and alluring sugary terpene profiles, Cheese serves as a nostalgic reminder of times gone by.

Known worldwide for its distinct cheesy flavor and aroma, Cheese also serves up a stoning high that is physically relaxing without rendering users completely couch-bound. With its widespread adoption by growers and smokers alike, many breeders have used Cheese genetics as the foundation for new strains, all of which offer aromatic hints of their savory predecessors.

But isn’t Cheese just Skunk?

Not quite. The Cheese strain and Skunk #1 have a lot in common, but they are two distinct strains. This variety first emerged as a phenotype of Skunk #1 following its introduction into the United Kingdom. Both Skunk #1 and Cheese share the same ancestry, but environmental factors that trigger permanent gene expression changes ultimately led to Cheese's emergence.

The strain differs from Skunk #1 in several ways, including its flavor profile, effects, and growing traits. Cheese started out as a clone-only variety, but breeders eventually began growing cuttings out to seed and stabilizing the plants to mimic the aromatic profile of the original phenotype.

The Birth of Cheese

Let’s pile in the Wayback machine and head on down to the 1980s. Here, legendary breeder Sam “the Skunkman” of Sacred Seeds decided to fill up a suitcase with his proprietary genetics and head to the emerging cannabis hub of Amsterdam. Among his stash of seeds, Sam transported his iconic creation Skunk #1. Here, the cultivar gained rapid popularity for its potent high and distinct aroma—made possible thanks to high levels of volatile sulfur compounds.

However, despite the alluring traits of this novel phenotype, growers in the country soon found themselves encountering trouble. While the pungency of these buds made Skunk #1 an instant hit, the aroma also gave the game away; many growers reported visits by the police as their plants entered the flowering stage. With this setback in mind, the popularity of Skunk #1 stood strong but forced growers to innovate further and produce varieties with less obvious odors. Growers in the UK caught wind of these genetics, and a special batch of seeds arrived there in the late 1980s. Here, an unknown grower stumbled across a unique phenotype. Among its other traits, it possessed a particularly cheesy aroma not seen in regular Skunk #1 plants. To preserve the phenotype, the grower took a cutting that eventually ended up in the hands of The Exodus Collective. Known for their social activism and massive free parties, Cheese weed gained enormous popularity in the UK cannabis scene and has remained at such heights ever since.

But is the Cheese strong?

The UK Cheese strain lacks the remarkable potency of many modern hybrids, yet many veteran cannabis smokers will tell you that this is no detriment to the Cheese experience. The strain clocks in with a THC content of around 20%, but the cannabinoid doesn’t act in isolation to produce its effects. Other constituents, including terpenes, amplify the high and produce an uplifting and euphoric effect that is by no means insubstantial.

Intense aroma and appeal

The UK Cheese strain produces respectable yields and pleasant effects, but its aromatic profile truly sets it apart from the crowd and is the main reason Cheese remains popular today. An array of different terpenes contribute to its complex scent, including terpinolene, ocimene, and myrcene, which offer notes of mint, fruit, and herbs.

However, it's chiefly the volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) within Cheese that underpin its unique scent and flavor. These pungent compounds are responsible for aromas of garlic, onion, cheese, and eggs. While this might sound off-putting on paper, these chemicals add a surprisingly tasty and savory character to specific strains.