“Cheese - milk's leap toward immortality”.
~Clifton Paul Fadiman
I just returned from a trip to see my daughter and her beau in
Providence RI. On this trip I was
treated to some really wonderful meals and food items from all manner of
sources. One night as I was sewing on a
skirt for daughter, beau served up adult slim jims (preserved meats) and this
one cheese. The cheese was granulated - almost crunchy. The flavor was great!
When I say great, I mean both big and wonderful!
I was forced to go on the search for this cheese! OK, daughter and beau knew exactly where to
find it - but I sure was obsessed about getting some of this cheese!
Beemster X.O. Extra DOUBLE
Aged artisan Dutch Gouda
Produced in the Beemster
Polder lowland in North Holland.
Cows that produce the milk for this cheese graze on
pesticide-free pastures growing on blue sea clay. This gives the milk a sweeter
flavor and a softer/creamier texture in the cheeses. Like real champagne only
comes from the Champagne region of France, Beemster
cheese can only come from the Beemster Polder.
How fru-fru is that?
Beemster
and Ben & Jerry’s Europe joined forces creating the Caring Dairy
Initiative. Cows graze freely Spring thru fall. This results in a better milk
and better treatment of the cows producing the milk. It sounds to me like the
California Happy Cows campaign is not that original!
Now, most sites will say that the flavor of the Beemster X.O.
Gouda hints at Butterscotch, whiskey and pecan.
I say IT IS JUST PLAINLY GREAT TASTING CHEESE! I have no idea about these delicate nuances.
I just know that I really like the cheese.
Considering that I have issues with consuming aged cheeses it says a lot
that I risked it - and so far so good!
This cheese would work well grated and served in the place of
parmesan…
Aged 26 months
$17.99 per pound
Texture: Brittle
That sounds decadent! There's a cheese that I discovered at Earth fare that I'll have to introduce you to, when I can remember the whole name of it. It's a blue/Camembert style cheese w/ whole mustard seeds and ale in it, and the word Dragon in the name. It tastes like you're eating a warm, crusty club sandwich just from eating the cheese alone. We'll have to hit the Earth fare cheese section together on the next Epic Shopping Trip! :)
ReplyDelete~ Dawn