Every Friday morning from April to the end of September, a show takes place on the square in the small town Alkmaar. We are in North Holland, home for Nord Hollandse Gouda PDO. But this is not just a show for tourists (even though lots of tourists come). This is still a cheese market where 30 tons of gouda this morning is evaluated, sold, carried to be weighted and off to the buyer. What makes this market very special is its roots that go back to 1593. (Even though cheese trading took place before).
30 tons of gouda waiting on the square. All PDO gouda from Cono or Campina-Friesland.This particular Friday was ‘Tulip Day’, thus the many tulips.
The guild
The market is run by the old ‘Kaasdragers Gilde’ which means cheese carrier’s guild.
The guild from 1593 keeps alive the old rules. For instance, you are not allowed to swear on the market place. If you do, you pay a small fine. If you’re late, you pay. If you’re clothes is stained, you pay. The money from this and the cheese sales was collected and shared between the cheese carriors during winter.
In the old days, the guild took care of the cheese carriors and their families in case of illness and death.
The cheese father is above all. Until 1920s he lived in the guild’s house by the square. But still he today, the other cheese carriers call him ‘dad’.
Once a cheese carrier, always a cheese carrier. And that is still true.
Balance
To carry eight goudas (108 kg / 238 lb.) plus the wooden barrow requires balance. To start off well, the one in front always starts with the left leg, whereas the one behind starts with the right leg.
The cheeses at the market were round until 1922. Flat goudas of today are much easier to carry.The carriors take the sold cheeses to the weight. Then the final settlement is made with the buyer.
Four teams are working on the market. Each team consists of six carriors and one purseman who used to receive the money for the sold cheeses. An official oversees still today that everything is correct.
It was obvious to see that the cheese carriers had fun. Also I found it interesting to see how the past still lives in the presence. And how important cheese has been and still is for this area.
Money was collected in this box from 1730
Visit the market
You can visit the market every Friday morning from April to the end of September. Read here about how and where. Beside the market is a cheese museum and a gift shop with a broad range of cheese souvenirs.
Going to the Netherlands means going to the land of gouda. But you don’t have to stay long to understand that there are differences between gouda and gouda.
If you stay in the inner center of Amsterdam you meet several well merchandised cheese shops with gouda in all colors (added spices) and without. But if you go outside Amsterdam and visit the smaller dairies you’ll see that even though they produce gouda, they refer to their cheese by the brand and not as gouda.
Protected name or not?
Gouda is one of the cheese types (like cheddar) which isn’t protected by its origin (PDO). This means gouda is produced all over the world today. But yet there are two protections: Nord-Hollandse Gouda (gouda from North Holland) has the PDO stamp, and Gouda Holland carries the PGI stamp.
Gouda is a town in South Holland. This is the place to stroll along the channels, enjoy a stroopwafel and visit the cheese market on Thursdays during spring/summer.
Beemster, the area
In the beginning of the 17th century, Amsterdam needed more farm land. Beemster lake was the biggest lake in North Holland with a connection to the sea. In the beginning of the 17th century, a wild project started: 43 windmills pumped out the water over the next few years. Dry land was found 4 meters / 13+ feet below sea level. Windmills are still used today to pump out water and keep the land dry. Today, it is protected as Unesco Heritage, as the first polder in the Netherlands.
The plan was to use the reclaimed land for agriculture. But the soil was too wet. Yet it was perfect for grass and cows. The soil is old sea bed, fertile mineral marine clay, rich and salty.
The grass that grows here has a high level of Omega 3 which adds to the milk quality. However, if the grass gets too long, the Omega 3 dissappears. Therefore, it needs to be cut at the right length when turned into hay 🙂
The plan for the reclaimed land from the old lake. And so it is today: Straight roads, dykes and water channels.With so much water all over, maybe it’s no wonder the Dutch king has an education in Water ManagementLocks are used to manage the different levels of water
Beemster, the cheese
4% of all Dutch cheese comes from Cono Kaasmakers, a cooperative in Westbeemster (the biggest player is Friesland-Campina with 75%).
Cono started in 1901 and covers today 460 farmers who in average have 70 free range cows per farm. Their biggest brand is Beemster.
Even though it is an industrial production, they still use some traditional techniques. For example, the cheesemaker stirs the curd by hand (he uses a rake) which ensures an even drainage and thereby a smoother texture.
Cono claims to be the greenest dairy in the world and is aiming at being CO2 neutral in 2020. In 2008, they launched their Caring Dairy-project (‘happy cows, happy farmers, happy planet’) which focuses on sustainable dairy farming. Cows are out 180 days a year, live longer, have better health and give more milk.
Noord-Hollandse Gouda PDO
The old marine clay in the soil is the secret behind the unique taste of the cheeses coming from this area. The blue marine clay gives more taste to the juicy grass and thus to the milk. At the dairy they add less salt which leaves room for a more natural and complex taste.
Gouda from North Holland carries the PDO stamp. One of the describing factors for this particular gouda is a lower salt content than in other goudas. Two producers make this particular gouda (Cono and Friesland-Campina).
Beemster cheese come with different maturations from 1 month to 26 months. From buttery and creamy to crymbly, drier and more caramelHappy in the land of gouda… 🙂
Charles de Gaulle once said something about how impossible it was to run a country with more than 300 cheeses (it has been quoted so many times and with many different figures). I don’t know why, but this quote popped up when I was thinking about the Netherlands. Maybe because I’m still amazed byt the fact that vast areas of the country lies below sea level, and windmills from the 16th century still pump out the water and keep the country dry. How is this possible?
My trip
If you follow my instagram profile you may have noticed I went to the Netherlands with Cheese Journeys just before Easter 🙂 . I travelled as the only Dane in a group of Americans and we had an action packed program with tulips, cheese, windmills, more cheese, good laughs in the minibus, cheese tastings, fouraging in the polders, cheese visits and so much more…
Travelling curd nerds
In this blog post, I will give you my Top 10 moments from the trip. It would be a never ending story if I wrote about the full Top 10. Therefore, you will get this first six in this blog post (not prioritised), and the remaining four will follow in separate posts.
Top 10: Cheese & beer pairing in an old church
When you go to church in Haarlem (west of Amsterdam) it may be on a Friday night and beers are involved. An old church (Jopenkerk) has been turned into a modern restaurant/café and has a brewery on site as well. Some of the recipes are 500 years old and have been revived by Jopen Brewery.
Beneath colourful stained glass windows we had a tasting of three Jopen beers with 12 cheeses (Dutch and foreign).
Many good matches were made, I can mention:
A creamy brie de meaux with truffles paired with a citrus/flowerly IPA
A spicy brin d’amour with herbs paired with a light bitter and fruity wheat beer
A Frisian goat cheese from a farm dairy working with their own starter and rennet paired with a double bock matured in cognac barrils
A piece of Stichelton (raw milk stilton) with the same double bock
Top 9: Cheese & tea paring
I have to admit that I was a tiny bit sceptical before the cheese and tea pairing. What could be special about that? Well, I had to think again. Knowledgeable Betty Koster from Fromagerie l’Amuse paired three teas with nine cheeses. Oh boy, it worked. Tea breaks down the fat from the cheeses and actually goes very well with different cheeses.
My favourite match was without any doubts a full flavored roquefort with a glass of smoked Ceylon Souchon tea. Two strong tastes came into balance: Mould, smoke, bitterness, tobacco, salt – and they were so balanced at the same time.
Thank God, we learn something new everyday – and this wasn’t my last tea and cheese tasting!
Top 8: Fouraging and cookery school
A polder is a piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea. Dykes protect them and big areas in the Netherlands are polders. We picked flowers and herbs in a polder and brought them back to the kitchen where Naomi taught us to cook a Dutch meal with her personal twist. It turned into the most beautiful and tasteful meal! She also has a Bed & Breakfast and conducts workshops and cookery schools.
Top 7: Boska’s cheeseware universe
Some of my favorite cheesewares come from Boska and I was excited to get the know them. A family company in three generations has gone from being a black smith to an global supplier of cheesewares (and chocolatewares). They want to make cheese cool and have fun with it. A visit to their HQ showed us the Boska DNA. And yes! it is still cool and fun 🙂
Top 6: Spa at Fort Resort Beemster
When you travel with a group of strangers there is no icebreaker such as a nude spa :-). So we found out at Fort Resort Beemster. On the first evening we had a typical Dutch spa experience in the most beautiful spa resort I had ever seen – a fort from 1913 turned into an elegant wellness place. I will be back!
Top 5: Tulips, wooden clogs and water
Needless to say, but you just can’t stay in the Netherlands without constantly meeting that ‘Dutch’ touch…
The remaining top 4
The last four moments are 100% about cheese (and still not prioritised):
Top 4: Understanding Beemster, a special cheese area in North Holland as well as a cheese brand
Top 3: A morning at the old cheese market in Alkmaar
Top 2: Meeting a farmer and cheesemaker with a different mindset
Top 1: Visit a farm dairy on an island (by boat of course)
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A word about Cheese Journeys
In case you wonder who and what Cheese Journeys is, it is a company who is specialized in making unforgettable journeys focused on cheese. But not only cheese as it’s always put into a cultural and gastronomic context of the country or area. In other words, if you are a dedicated cheese fan, you will go to heaven – and you can bring your foodie spouse/colleague/friend/neighbour/etc. – as long as they like food, they will also love the trip.
They have more journeys coming up in Europe – but also an interesting tour in Vermont, USA. Check it out here.
Anna Juhl is the woman behind Cheese Journeys. With a cheese professional background (and daugthers in the cheese business today) cheese is an important factor in her life. She uses all this knowledge and experience when she plans amazing cheese journeys for others.
I have taken one week out of my life and dedicated it to Dutch cheese. Together with a group of American curd nerds, I am on my first Cheese Journey.
When I’m back home I will serve the full experience garnished with information and insights. For now, I will give you some snaps from our first days. Life is gouda!
