Friday, October 12, 2007

Cheese (smelly post no. 1)



(voor nederlands, even scrollen)

The cheese store in the Zuiderzee museum was small but in all it's smelly-ness a treasure trove for a cheese lover, and cheese lovers we are! Still the Dutch aren't the biggest "kaaskoppen" , we eat approx. 20 kg per capita not as much as the Germans (22kg) and the French (25 kg)!

The twins headed out the door pretty quickly, overpowered by the smell but Floris and I stayed put and sampled some nice pieces of cheese, which the man in the white coat was happy to provide us with. (no, not those men! The cheese makers in Holland tradionally used to wear white coats, similar to those worn by doctors). For more pictures of the cheese makers and their store please click here.

I bought a very well aged farmer's cheese, which had a characteristic salty and sharp flavour; true to it's nature. Usually these cheeses are brittle due to their ageing and thus almost impossible to slice, this one however was quite soft in texture, a pleasant mouthfeel. At the right temperature (room temperature; leave it out on the counter for a couple of hours before you use it) you'll get perfect slices and maximum taste.

Couldn't resist buying this little fellow, a small round mature cheese flavoured with fenegreek. Fenegreek is native to countries bordering the Mediterranean and is regularly used in the Indian cuisine as well (called methi). It lends a walnut-like flavour to this cheese which I really like, the seeds might have been toasted to enhance the flavour, in itself this herb tends to taste quite bitter.
Deze kaas kochten we in het Zuiderzee-museum, een klein rond kaasje met fenegriek-kruid. Erg lekker met een noot-achtige smaak, die een beetje aan walnoot doet denken. Ik geloof dat ik het maar in mijn eentje moet gaan opeten als ik dit zo lees! Wie weet is er nog hoop!


Fenegriek is een kruid dat met name in de keukens rond de Middellandse Zee wordt gebruikt in stoofgerechten en curries, en ook zijn plaats heeft in Indiase gerechten. Ik vermoed dat de noot-achtige smaak komt doordat de zaden geroosterd zijn voordat ze toegevoegd worden aan kaas. Het kruid zelf smaakt nogal bitter en is vooral in combinatie met bijvoorbeeld korianderzaad een lekkere smaakmaker voor bijvoorbeeld kip curry.

5 comments:

  1. I know this fenegreek cheese or at least one like it. Yes, and like it very much. I'm with you and Floris any day in a cheese tasting! Well, I guess you and I have actually spent a fair amount of time in cheese shops!

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  2. Oh cheese, how nice! I have to eat some straight away.

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  3. My kids would have rushed out screaming and holding their noses... they even wished they could still do that when the 'cheesebox' stands on the table...
    I bought some fenegriek-cheese on a farmersmarket recently (not very mature)... very very very good!!! I like it a lot and now I know it's good for me as well.

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  4. Reminds me of our day at Neil's Dairy and the Burrough Market in London! Oh, the cheeses were wonderful. Good for Floris! He was the smart one to stay and sample! Sounds like a fun trip.

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  5. Klikt terug...ohhh- ik zal direct gaan minderen met die overheerlijke fenegriekkaas....
    Zit ook wel een beetje kerrie/maggikruid smaak aan vind ik- heb vorig jaar speciaal dat plantje gezaaid voor die (toen nog moeilijk verkrijgbare)lekkere zaadjes..;-)

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