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Featured Cheese for April 2009: Wisconsin Gouda

Wisconsin Gouda is the April featured cheese of the month.

Wisconsin Gouda

Taking its name from a village in southern Holland, Gouda dates back to the Middle Ages and was exported to other countries as early as the 13th century.

A semi-hard cheese, Gouda is made with whole milk and has a rich, buttery and slightly sweet flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. This sweet curd cheese is similar to Edam except that it contains more milkfat, which gives it a creamier texture and helps it to become more buttery with age.

Wisconsin cheesemakers offer Gouda in several varieties, including mild, aged, flavored and smoked. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board offers the following pairing tips for different varieties of Gouda:

• • Mild Gouda: Typically made with a red wax rind, mild Gouda pairs well with fruits such as fresh peaches, cherries, sliced melon or dried apricots. Fruity wines or lager beers enhance the cheese’s slightly sweet flavor.
• • Aged and flavored Gouda: These can be identified by a yellow or clear wax rind and are excellent with apple and pear slices. Serve with apple juice or a favorite beer to appreciate the smooth, creamy texture of the cheese.
• • Smoked Gouda: Marked with black or brown wax rinds, smoked Gouda cheeses also pair well with apples and pears. Hearty red wines and most beers bring out the cheese’s rich, buttery flavor.

Due to its great meltability and buttery flavor, Gouda is ideal for making grilled cheese sandwiches. Try grilled ham and cheese with a twist by adding Wisconsin Gouda to rye bread with ham, red onion and fresh spinach. Or, kick breakfast up a notch by topping a classic egg sandwich with a Wisconsin Aged Gouda Mornay sauce.

Wisconsin, known for its stunning variety of award-winning cheeses, is home to many cheesemakers crafting outstanding semi-hard cheeses. In addition to Gouda, these types include Cheddar, Colby, Edam, Swiss, Gruyère and Baby Swiss cheeses. For more Gouda or semi-hard cheese pairing tips, suggestions and recipes, visit WisDairy.com.

Featured Supplier – Arla Foods - White Clover Dairy

In 1897, a small group of farmers in Kaukauna, Wis., north of Milwaukee, formed White Clover Dairy in a joint effort to market their milk. Today, 112 years later, high quality standards have made White Clover Dairy a leader in the production of specialty cheeses.

All-natural ingredients, state-of-the-art technology and the expertise of skilled cheesemakers have combined to consistently place White Clover Dairy in the top echelon of cheesemaking with numerous state, national and international awards. A licensed cheesemaker since 1976, Duane Petersen earned his Master Cheesemaker certification for both Gouda and Edam cheeses on behalf of White Clover Dairy.

White Clover Dairy also produces Cheddar, Monterey Jack and a number of reduced-fat cheeses. While best known for their excellent Gouda and Edam, White Clover Dairy also produces specialty cheeses under the Arla Foods umbrella and serves as the domestic supplier of Havarti.

For more information about Wisconsin Gouda, Arla Foods, White Clover Dairy or another Wisconsin cheesemaker, visit Foodservice.WisDairy.com.

Wisconsin Gouda Recipes

1. Fried Egg Sandwich with Spinach, Mushrooms, Onions and Wisconsin Aged Gouda Mornay Sauce
2. Ultimate Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Jack & Smoked Gouda
3. Jones Ham and Wisconsin Cheese with a Twist