Monterey Jack is a soft rind cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk. It is usually marketed as is, or mixed with Colby cheese in the form of a marbled cheese called Colby-Jack cheese (or simply Co-Jack or Cojack).
Originally, the Monterey Jack was made by Franciscan monks in the city of Monterey, California, in the early 19th century. An entrepreneur by the name of David Jack decided to capitalize on the reputation of the product and began to market a similar cheese, first referred to as "Jack's Cheese", then "Monterey Jack".
“Monterey Jack”, although including the name of the town of origin of the cheese, is not a controlled designation of origin, like other American cheeses. The monterey jack is manufactured outside of the Monterey region, including Canada.
The aged form of cheese is 'Dry Jack', which can be grated and used in cooking in the same way as Parmesan. The dry jack was invented in the United States during World War II to alleviate the shortage of Italian cheeses, which had become almost impossible to import due to the imposed embargo.
Another version of cheese, pepperjack, mixes Monterey Jack peppers to add a spicy taste. Pepperjack is often used in Mexican or Tex-Mex
