The Dutch normally keep the best traditional cheeses for themselves. The pure flavours of the raw milk can be tasted, almost like molten honey or butterscotch, the texture is smooth and pliable. The cheese gets its name “Boerenkaas” from the Dutch words “boer” meaning farmer, and “kaas” which means cheese.
Dutch farmhouse cheese is prepared on the farm, according to the best country traditions. The cheese is made of pure fresh milk from thefarmer’s own herd, without further processing(‘raw milk’). This is what gives Dutch farmhouse cheese its characteristic full flavour. The flavourvaries for each cheese making farm and season,since Dutch farmhouse cheese is not a standardized product. The cheese is still prepared in the traditional manner according to the farmer’s own recipe, with milk from the farm’s own herd of cows, sheep or goats. Carefully matured. The quality of the flavour enhances further during the process of maturation, what we call ‘affinage’. During this natural maturation process the unique, rich and powerful flavour of Dutch farmhouse cheese is slowly developed. The maturation process and determining the ideal age of the cheese require much care and expertise. This role of ‘affineur’ (cheese grader) can be performed by the farmer himself, but more often it is the cheese merchant who stores the cheese and ensures that the cheese reaches its full potential.
Variation for connoisseurs: The enormous variation in flavour is one of themain attractive characteristics of Dutch farm-house cheese. The flavour, smell and structure vary per season and per farm. All this is determined by composition of the soil, climate and recipe, which gives each farm and its farmhouse cheese its own ‘story’. In addition to the Gouda-type cheese there is also a wide variety of specialities available, amongst which the‘Leidse’ farmhouse cheese, several herb cheeses and goat’s and sheep’s cheese. These days you will quite often find the KB-hallmark on Dutchfarmhouse cheese, a hallmark that guarantees quality and authenticity.
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