Artikaas Youngsters Hickory Smoked Gouda

If you love Gouda, then this month’s Artikaas Youngsters Hickory Smoked Gouda is going to surprise and delight!

Artikaas has been making artisan cheeses in The Netherlands for six generations, since 1890. Today’s cheesemakers combine traditional and sustainable cheesemaking methods that date back over 2000 years with modern-day technological advances to create enduring cheese masterpieces of texture and flavor to satisfy the growing international demand.

The ingredients of this Gouda are simple – pasteurized cow’s milk, salt, cheese cultures, and vegetarian rennet. It is truly a Youngster – aged 4 to 6 weeks – and cold smoked over Hickory wood.

This Gouda’s youthfulness yields a cheese that is ivory in color. It has a firm, yet velvety paste that becomes even more luscious and creamy as it becomes warm. Buttery and nutty with just the right amount of smokiness and toasty oak notes, this rich cheese is a decadent, melt-in-your-mouth treat.

Remove it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes in advance of serving to reveal its optimal aromas and flavors. It will stand on its own as the ideal snack or dessert plate cheese because it is all at once savory, silky, and smoky. It will be the star of the show on a cheeseboard accompanied by cured meats, crisp apples and pears, blood orange jam, or fruit compote – plus a variety of nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts. This Gouda can also be melted as a topping for a juicy burger or a Croque Madame or Monsieur, the perfect fondue for dipping, or to elevate Mexican birria and macaroni & cheese. Pair it with amber lagers and ales, traditional method sparkling wines, Burgundian and Oregon Pinot Noir, Beaujolais (Gamay), and Alsatian-style whites with bright acidity like Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling.