Tag: holland

  • From soil to cheese

    From soil to cheese

    Top 2 from a Dutch cheese journey

    He drops down unto his knees and studies the fresh cow manure on the field. It has the right smell, fIies have already found it, and that’s a good sign. It is one of indicators of how the cow is doing. Jan Dirk van de Voort is a farmer and cheesemaker of Remeker cheese and he sees the world in quite a different light than most of his colleagues.

    Remeker
    Fresh manure with flies = healthy cow
    Remeker
    Manure after 2ยฝ weeks = dung beetles and birds have almost done their job

    In accordance with nature

    Jan Dirk comes from a farmer’s family and their story is linked to the farm De Groote Vort for many generations. Despite family tradition, he has gone his own ways. Well, his father did too, he was the first in the Netherlands to start with jersey cows. They were actually the first in Europe to make gouda with jersey milk.

    Remeker

    The biggest change

    Jan Dirk turned the farm organic 30 years ago but the gamechanger came 15 years ago when they said goodbye to antibiotics, vitamins, insecticides, pesticides etc. From that moment he relied on nature and sustainability. It has become a combination of philosophy and earning model at the same time.

    Remeker

    The horns

    An example of his way has do with horns. It is common that you dehorn the cows in order to prevent them to harm each other and to minimize the need for space. Jan Dirk explains that the horns is a mineral depot which are used for the calves. If you take away the horns, the minerals for the calves come out of the hoofs and thereby creating hoof issues which need treatment.

    In order to avoid aggressions among the cows, the stable has no corners. where the cows normally could take out their aggressions.

    Remeker

    The 85 cows eat fresh grass when it’s possible and that’s most of the year. When they can’t have fresh grass, they are fed with things such as hay, grass sileage and pressed herbs.

    Remeker

    Drink coffee and let the worms work

    The farm generates six incomes but has many more employees if you count the worms. They do an important job. Jan Dirk tells us about a research project they run with the university right now. The worms count the Dutch local worms but also imported long Canadian worms. It takes around 30 years to take the fields back to a stage where no ploughing and working the soil is needed (and he can drink coffee in stead). Where the soil is in balance when it comes to water, calcium and other minerals.

    Remeker
    Remeker
    The compactness of these two soil lumps will dissappear within a few more years when the worms have done more work.

    Connection between soil and cheese

    When it comes to the Remeker cheese, the method is also in line with old traditions and nature. Milk is only heated to the natural temperature of the cow which means all important micro organisms are kept alive.

    In the maturing cellar, beautiful cheeses with natural rind marked Remeker lie on wooden planks and are turned now and then.

    But new ideas can come along. All cheeses are for instance covered with homemade ghee (clarified butter). This gives extra taste from the outside inwards.

    Remeker
    Remeker
    Remeker

    Remeker is an old name of one of the fields. It goes back to the 17th century and comes from two old Dutch names: Reem (surrounded by) and eker (oak).
    Remeker

    The cheeses are really good. Going from young (3 months) with buttery, creamy flavor which melts on the tongue to 1ยฝ years with grainy texture and crunchy crystals.

    Remeker

  • Beemster

    Beemster

    Top 4 from a Dutch cheese journey

    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.

    Cheese in Amsterdam
    Cheese in Amsterdam

    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
    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.
    Gouda

    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.

    Beemster

    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 ๐Ÿ™‚

    Beemster area
    Beemster area
    The plan for the reclaimed land from the old lake. And so it is today: Straight roads, dykes and water channels.
    Beemster area
    With so much water all over, maybe it’s no wonder the Dutch king has an education in Water Management
    Beemster
    Locks 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%).

    Beemster

    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.

    Beemster

    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.

    Beemster

    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).

    Land of gouda
    Beemster cheese come with different maturations from 1 month to 26 months. From buttery and creamy to crymbly, drier and more caramel
    Lots of gouda
    Happy in the land of gouda… ๐Ÿ™‚
  • Top 10 from a Dutch cheese journey

    Top 10 from a Dutch cheese journey

    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 ๐Ÿ™‚ . 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/cafรฉ 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 ๐Ÿ™‚


    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)

    If you don’t want to miss these stories, you can subscribe to my newsletter (did I mention that you get my guide to the perfect cheese board when signing up?) or go the front page and subscribe to the blog via email.

    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.
    Land of gouda
    Land of gouda
  • On a cheese journey to the home land of gouda

    On a cheese journey to the home land of gouda

    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!