A Cheese for all Seasons
“There is no season such delights can bring
As summer, autumn, winter and spring.â€
- William Browne, English Poet (1591-1643)
We all know that many cheeses are at their best at certain times of the year. Right now we are flush with the excitement of all the new spring cheeses coming in, like the fresh triple cr̬mes and tangy new goats. However, I would like to take a moment to talk about a cheese that is always delicious, always appropriate and always available РAged Gouda!
If you have only eaten supermarket Gouda or a smoked Gouda wrapped in wax, it was most likely processed and tastes nothing like the multi-year-old Dutch beauties we carry. 
As the four-year-old Gouda (pronounced HOW-dah) and the six-year-old Roomano mature, their flavor concentrates into a unique taste that resembles a salted caramel. The initial savory richness gives way to a subtle sweetness; it is delightfully complex and because of this depth of flavor they pair wonderfully with everything from beer to coffee to red wine or a gin cocktail. It’s not just the great flavor profile that I love about Gouda, it’s also the texture, as they age little crunchy bits form from salt-like calcium lactate or tyrosine crystals. I find the best way to get great bite of Gouda is to pierce it with a knife point and allow the chunks to form as they will. I then let the cheese come to room temperature to be sure that every angle of is it’s multi-facetted profile is at it’s tastiest. And then depending on the time of year or time of day I sit down to enjoy a plateful with an espresso, or a pint of Guinness or a martini. Or sometimes it’s just me and the cheese.
“Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheeseâ€
- Billie Burke, American Actress (1884 –1970)
-Heather
Assistant to the CEO