Past Newsletters

September 2007

Versatility = FUN!

All three of your featured cheeses this month are quite versatile indeed. They'll complement barbequed or grilled meats and will add flavorful flare when melted atop your gourmet hamburgers. Cubed or grated, they can contribute interesting contrasts and vibrant colors to salads (especially Minolette). For a very tasty treat, grate or melt them over roasted potatoes, or blend two or more in your sauces. Versatility = fun!

Edam is Good Eatin' (The Netherlands)

Edam actually refers to a style of cheese rather than the town in which it originated. Like many cheeses consumed in the U.S., it's usually eaten young, when its texture is elastic and supple, and the flavor is smooth, mild and nutty. The aged Edam you have just received is preferred by most cheese gourmands because it has a more robust, complex flavor, making the tasting experience much more memorable.

Edam and Gouda, sometimes considered to have similar flavors, are different in a few ways; the most notable of which is Edam's 8 to 10% lower fat content. When Edam was first made it was traditional to skim off the fat from the evening milkings which was used to make butter. The remaining skim milk was mixed with the next morning's milking to make a cheese that had a lower fat content and sharper flavor. Another factor that contributes to its distinctive flavor is the milk itself, known the world over for its rich creaminess. The lower fat content compared to Gouda is quite consistent among all Dutch Edam, due mainly to the fact that all Dutch pastures are at the same altitude and latitude, and therefore, all black and white Dutch cows eat pretty much the same thing. This is not the case in France, Italy and other countries where various unique pasturelands offer the cows, sheep and goats numerous varieties of grasses and herbs which bring about more distinctions in taste. 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, though Edam's roots go back at least 600 years to the town Edam in North Holland, renown 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. 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, looking 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 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. Hey, if it's good enough for the Czars, right?

Commerce was also a major contributor to the thriving development of Edam. Today, the Dutch are sixth in the world when it comes to cheese production, and sixty percent of what they make is Gouda. They are the world's largest exporter of cheese! The milk products they export pay for half of all their imports!

Note of Interest: It appears that Edam can age for many years—under certain conditions—and still taste good. The oldest Edam we know about was found at the South Pole in 1956. It had been left there 44 years ago 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 a good bread, beer and wine. It goes well with light reds and fruity whites.

Idiazábal, a Robust Queso Vasco (Basque Cheese) (Spain)

Many years ago, you would have found the village of Idiazábal in the heart of the Basque Region of northern Spain. The area is today 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 go to the market to sell their smoked ewe's milk cheese. The name Idiazábal became known in the markets as being the quintessential shepherd's cheese, and is considered a delicacy among cheese purists.

These days the cheese is made in modern dairies that meet strict hygiene guidelines—those "rural dwellings" are not quite up to EU standards. But the cheese is still made using the traditional recipe, and milk from sheep that have grazed in those same mountains. 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 it 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 called 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 filling or breading blue fish or white meats.

Mimolette and the Politics of Cheese (France)

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 took rout in the 17th century, specifically during rule of King Louis XIV, because his chief minister, Colbert, had banned the import of many foreign goods and foods, including Edam. The Dutch cheese was especially missed in Flanders, the northernmost region of France, and as you might expect, the villagers had strong cultural ties to Holland. Even today you will hear Dutch spoken as a first language in this part of France.

We often want what we can't easily have, and since Mimolette would have to be smuggled into France against the King's decree, the defiant French subjects began to make their own cheese from the same basic recipe. Of course, the French added a little panache. The first changes you will notice are the shape and color. The artisans flattened the top and bottom, and then added Rocou, a natural coloring from red-Bordeaux grape seeds which originated in Vietnam. Today, the natural dye, annatto, is used to enhance the color, ranging 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.)

Aged Mimolette is very popular throughout France and is enjoyed by cheese novices as well as serious connoisseurs, so it's a good "starter cheese" that you can use to introduce the kids or some of your less cheese savvy friends (but can still savor yourself). Mimolette is also called Boule de Lille, because of the shape and the location of the cellars where the cheeses were first ripened the village of Lille. This delicious treat can be eaten young, but unlike Edam, Mimolette is usually matured for a minimum of six months, and at that time it is called demi-étuvée or demi-vielle—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 firm but quite oily texture. 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
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 Bičre de Garde—fantastique!). As an aperitif, try it with a sweet wine like Sherry, Oporto, or Rivesaltes.