Past Newsletters - September 2009
Versatile European Cheeses
Your featured cheeses this month are among the most versatile of cheeses. They will complement barbequed or grilled meats and add a wonderful flare melted atop your gourmet hamburgers. Try them cubed or grated in a salad to add vibrant colors and provide an interesting contrast; or grated or melted over roasted potatoes. You could also use two or more in a favorite cheese sauce recipe and pour over pasta. These are just some of the ways to be creative with this month’s selections.
Edam—Good Eats from the Netherlands
As with many cheeses we favor in the U.S., Edam is usually eaten young. At this stage its texture is elastic and supple, and the flavor is mild, smooth and nutty. However, the aged Edam we have shipped you is preferred by most cheese aficionados because it has a more robust and complex flavor, making the tasting experience much more memorable.
Edam and Gouda are sometimes considered to have similar flavors but they’re different in a few ways. Edam is made from a combination of skimmed and part-skimmed cow’s milk so it has an eight to ten percent lower fat content. When Edam was first made it was traditional to skim off the fat from the evening’s milking and use the fat to make butter. The remaining skimmed milk was mixed with the next morning's milking to make a cheese that had a lower fat content and sharper flavor than Gouda. Another factor that contributes to its distinctive flavor is the milk itself, known the world over for its rich creaminess. The flavor of Dutch Edam is quite consistent because Dutch pastures are all at the same altitude and latitude; therefore, all Dutch cows eat pretty much the same thing. This is not the case in France, Italy and other countries, where the terrain and vegetation is much more varied. As a result, unique pasturelands offer the cows, sheep and goats many varieties of grasses and herbs which, in turn, bring about more variations in flavor. We think you will find that the genuine aged Edam we have selected is noticeably drier, lighter, and tarter than Gouda.
Across the Zuider Zee
These days, Edam is produced all over the Netherlands. However, Edam's roots go back at least 600 years to the town of Edam in North Holland, which is renowned as a historically significant center of Dutch cheese exports. The town of Edam is a few miles north of Amsterdam facing East across the waters of the old Zuider Zee, a tiny inlet in the North Sea. Edam is a city rich in history, dating back to the 12th century when farmers and fishermen settled along the Ye river, and named their town "Yedam." By the 17th century, this primitive settlement had developed into a prosperous town. Edam had a great number of shipyards that turned out many famous ships, like the Halve Maan (Half Moon): the ship that Henry Hudson sailed in 1609 to look for a northern route to the East Indies, but ending up stranded on the island of Manhattan.
When Peter the Great of Russia decided that Russia needed a navy, he took an entourage of several hundred men to Holland to learn ship building from the world renowned Dutch master-craftsmen. After more than a year of study, he was awarded an official degree of excellence. Some historians claim that he was more proud of his "diploma," than being a Czar. No doubt he enjoyed many a cheese from the village of Edam that tasted exactly like what you have just received. Commerce was also a major contributor to the thriving market for Edam. Today, the Dutch are sixth in the world when it comes to cheese production (sixty percent of what they make is Gouda). They are the world's largest exporter of cheese, and the milk products they export could pay for half of all their imports.
Note of Interest: It appears that Edam can age for many years under certain conditions, and still be quiet edible. The oldest Edam we know about was found at the South Pole in 1956. It had been left there in 1912 by the unfortunate “Scott” expedition.
Tasting Notes: Aged Edam is mild, slightly salty and nutty. We suggest pairing it with fruits such as peach, melon, apricot, pear and cherry. This cheese is good grated over potatoes, with bread, beer and wine. In particular, dark beer and pinot noir complement it especially well.
Idiazábal—A Gift from the Basque Region of Spain
Many years ago, you would have found the village of Idiazábal in the heart of the Basque Region of northern Spain in an area now known as Ordicia. Idiazábal was a small rural community located in the Goierri valley, and surrounded by the Aralar and Urbia mountain ranges. Centuries ago, cheese was made during the summer in txabolas (rural dwellings high in the mountains) and then stored near the campfires where smoke would impart its aroma to the cheeses. At the first sign of snow, farmers would descend from the mountain pastures with their flocks and head to the market to sell their smoked ewe's milk cheese. The name Idiazábal became known in the region as the quintessential shepherd's cheese. Today it is still considered a delicacy among cheese purists.
Those "rural dwellings" are not quite up to EU standards, so today the cheese is made in modern dairies that meet strict hygiene guidelines. But the cheese is still made using the traditional recipe, and milk from sheep that have grazed on those same mountain pastures. The smoked versions still use traditional woods such as beech wood, hawthorn, and/or cherry wood. “The Denomination of Origin for Idiazábal” was created in 1987, defining strict criteria that govern the ingredients and the way the cheese is made. Only unpasteurized milk from the Latxa breed of sheep can be used; although, in some cases the milk from the Carranzana breed found in the town of Encartaciones is permitted.
Tasting Notes: Recognized primarily by its rich, smoky, buttery flavor and a hard, dry texture that feels pleasantly oily when consumed, this cheese also has notes of nuts and sometimes of honey. The smoked version is somewhat drier and stronger, with a pleasant aroma. Its slightly salty flavor and buttery touch are perfect for stuffing fish or chicken.
Mimolette—A Product of French Individualism!
Mimolette is a creamy, hard, cow's milk cheese produced in Normandy, Brittany, Nord/Pas-de Calais, and other parts of France. Some say it originated in Lille, France, while others think it was first made in Holland. We believe that Mimolette can be traced to the 17th century, specifically to the rule of King Louis XIV. His chief minister, Colbert, had banned the import of many foreign goods, such as Edam cheese. In Flanders, the northernmost region of France where the villagers had strong cultural ties to Holland, Mimolette was especially missed. Even today you will hear Dutch spoken as a first language in this part of France.
We often desire the forbidden, and Mimolette was smuggled into France against the King's decree. In time, the defiant French subjects began to make their own cheese from the same basic recipe. Of course, the French—being French—added a little panache. The artisans changed the shape and color. They flattened the top and bottom, and then added Rocou, a natural coloring from red-Bordeaux grape seeds which originated in Vietnam. Today, another natural dye, annatto, is used to enhance the color which ranges from cantaloupe or carrot to a bright deep tangerine.
Mimolette has been called a French Edam, although there are certain differences between the two. An important difference comes from the source of the milk. As you taste the cheese and compare it to Edam, you will see how diverse breeds of cows—and the grasses and herbs they feed on—alter the flavor. Intensely fruity and nutty, Mimolette is popular as a snack with a glass of beer. (Visit www.monthlyclubs.com to check out all of the incredibly tasty microbrews that you could enjoy with your cheeses.)
Mimolette is very popular throughout France and is enjoyed by cheese novices and connoisseurs alike. This is a good "starter cheese," and if you are willing to part with it, is a good way to vary the palette of the kids or some of your less cheese savvy friends. Mimolette is also called Boule de Lille; boule translates to ball, scoop or bowl, and the village of Lille is the location of the cellars where the cheeses were first ripened. This delicious treat can be eaten young but, unlike Edam, Mimolette is usually matured for a minimum of six months. At age six months, it’s called a demi-étuvée or demi-vielle, meaning “half old.” The Mimolette you have received has matured for no less than twelve months!
Tasting Notes: In French, mi-mou means half soft and refers to the quite oily texture of this otherwise firm cheese. Aged Mimolette is often described as a sharp but mild cheese that is intensely fruity and nutty, with subtle notes of caramel. Mimolette is similar to parmesan but vibrantly orange.
Culture Corner |
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Cheese |
Pronunciation |
Recommended Wine/Beer |
Edam |
EE-dum |
Fruity red and white wines, sparkling cranberry juice, Riesling, Dry Champagne, Pinot Noir |
Idiazábal |
ih-dee-ah-ZAH-bol |
Idiazábal pairs beautifully with the red Tempranillo of northern Spain. |
Mimolette |
Mee-moh-LET |
Bordeaux, Burgundy, Fumé Blanc or strong beer (may we suggest a Belgian Saison or French Bière de Garde—fantastique!). As an aperitif, try it with a sweet wine like Sherry, Oporto or Rivesaltes. |
