Gouda: Digoda, Tergoda

The pandemic have suspend travelling all around the world. Going food hunting is almost near to none.

But what if the exquisite food came to you? Then it'll be another whole story.

Our directors back at the main HQ in Netherlands sent us these Gouda cheese as an appreciation coming this Christmas (their celebration, not ours). It was quite a nice surprise actually. Because when the cheese arrived together with the assembly kit in the container, almost everyone doesn't fully understood this additional cargo.

Interestingly, I only found out that the name Gouda doesn't referred to the place that it being made or the particular cheese making process, but rather the city that the cheese being traded from way back. It is one of the oldest recorded cheese in the world, traced back from 1184. 

The cheese market of Gouda

I'm not an expert in food nor self-claiming myself as a foodie. The only cheese that I'm familiar are the cheddar cheese slice and the whatever cheese that they sprinkle on the pizza that I always ordered online.

In short, sampling the Gouda cheese brings a whole new experience.

The Gouda cheese that we received is the Boerenkaas, It is the cheese that being labelled as the farmhouse cheese. Being mostly handmade, they even had the name protected by the European Union since 2007 as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed product.

Out from the box, the cheese is coated with with a yellow plastic, to prevent the cheese from drying out plus the vacuum sealed. There was this distinct smell emanating from the cheese, unlike the usual cheddar cheese slice. 

Smells like feet, but not to the stage that would put you off. Strangely enough, I do enjoy the smell.

The farmers are using circular mold which is the reason for their traditional round shape. Once chewing the cheese in my mouth, you can't miss the salty taste. The cheese had been soaked in brine as part of its process, which gives the cheese its distinctive taste.

Our first taste testing of the cheese were with some fried instant noodle. Immediately, we're hooked with the cheese.

Right now, I always have my breakfast with the cheese. 

The total weight of the cheese was approximately 2kg. I never even dreamed of having that much cheese before. As cheese also carries high level of saturated fat and salt, we have to enjoy it sparsely. 

Need to enjoy it as long as we can.

Note: Notice how rats/mice being baited with cheese in the cartoons? I have confirmed the supposedly myth by catching a rat recently by using the cheese. It was very effective. The distinct smell drawn the rat to the trap.