Tag: smoked gouda
Gouda: Everything You Need to Know
We love to help you get to know our cheeses here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Today, we are taking a look at Gouda.
What is Gouda cheese?
Gouda is a yellow cow’s milk cheese. It usually has a red or yellow wax coating. Ours is imported from the Netherlands, where it originated.
How is Gouda made?
It is made by culturing and heating the milk until the curd separates from the whey. When some of it is drained, water is added, which is called “washing the curd”. This process gives a sweeter flavor to the cheese as the washing removes some of the lactic acid. It is aged in cellars for at least 4 weeks. Extra mature versions will have been aged for 7 to 8 months, although it may be left for over a year to become even more flavorful and crunchy.
What does it taste like?
As the cheese ages, it develops a caramel-like sweetness. It sometimes has a slight crunch from the tyrosine crystals that resemble salt. The longer it is aged, the more aromatic and flavored it becomes.
We also sell a Smoked Gouda which is infused with a lovely smoky flavor.
What should I eat it with?
For the simplest snack, serve cubes of Gouda with a dipping mustard as they would do in the Netherlands.
Gouda pairs very well with fruit such as apples and pears. It is also great with other sweet flavors including honey and syrup.
It melts deliciously, so try a slice in your favorite grilled cheese sandwich for extra flavor and that incredible melted cheese effect. Try adding some wholegrain mustard to a grilled cheese. The nuttiness of the cheese pairs really well with the spice of the mustard.
This is also a fantastic cheese to add to a cheese sauce as it will add an extra punch of flavor. Mix it into pasta dishes or grate it over roasted vegetables for a simple cheesy side dish.
If you like to make quick snacks for parties, then you can use this to make quick cheese straws with flaky pastry or layer it vegetables to stuff jalapeno peppers for a spicy treat.
What should I drink it with?
For a special occasion, this cheese is delicious with a glass of champagne or sparkling wine. Other white wines that work well are those that have fruit flavors such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling. If you prefer red wine, we would recommend something light but fruity with a smoky undertone, such as a Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir. A Cabernet Sauvignon would go well with an aged Gouda, although it may overpower a younger cheese. A smoked Gouda is delicious with a glass of spicy Pinot Noir or a Chardonnay.
This cheese also goes very well with beer from light lagers and pale ales to a hearty porter or stout. You could even try it with spirits like Brandy or Calvados.
How do you like to eat your Gouda? Let us know in the comments!
What’s Better Than A Cavs’ Championship? Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
Gouda, or “How-da” as the locals say, is a Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. If truth be told, it is one of the most popular cheeses in the world, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of the world’s cheese consumption. It is a semi-hard cheese celebrated for its rich, unique flavour and smooth texture. The original cheese markets in Gouda is one of the last standing commercial cheese markets in the Netherlands. Since the name is not protected, it has become a generic classification for all cheeses produced and sold under the name Gouda.
Gouda is typically made from pasteurised cow’s milk although some artisan varieties use sheep’s or goat’s milk to produce cheeses that are going to be aged for a long time. Boerenkaas is a typical variety of unpasteurised Gouda cheese produced by the farmers from milk of cow’s grazing on the natural, low pastures of Netherlands. There are seven different types of Gouda cheese, categorized depending on age. Graskaas is young Gouda ready to be consumed within weeks of production. On the other hand, is the extra aged, Overjarig cheese which has a full-flavoured, hard, golden interior and salty flavour reminiscent of a toffee. Between the spectrums is a variety of Dutch Gouda’s classified as per the texture and age – Jong, Jong belegen, Belegen, Extra belegen, and Oud. Each cheese gets increasingly firmer in texture and richer in flavour than earlier classification. The waxed rind of the cheese also changes by the age as soft, younger Dutch Gouda cheese are identified by yellow, orange, or red wax rinds white mature cheese have black wax coverings.
In America, smoother and less flavorful commercial Gouda is popular than Dutch Gouda. Artisans in Netherlands may produce Dutch Gouda using raw milk as well as pasteurized. To enhance the flavor of the cheese, herbs, seasonings, and nuts may be blended. In Netherlands, aged Gouda is commonly used to richen soups, sauces.
Young Goudas are best paired with beer while medium cheeses taste best when paired with a fruity Riesling or Chenin Blanc. A well aged Gouda complements wines that are deeply flavored such as a rich Merlot or Shiraz. Gouda cheese may be grated, sliced, cubed or melted. It may be used as a table cheese or dessert cheese.
SMOKED GOUDA MASHED POTATOES
Fancying up mashed potatoes can take a plain Jane dish and make it a stand out yummy. Sorry if your name is Jane. What better to make something stand out than smoked gouda? Oh baby. It’s yummy. Add 1 cup for a hint of smokey goodness, and 2 cups for a heavier handed approach. Or maybe your tastes will fall somewhere in between. This is a fabulous twist on your standard taters. Live a little, right?
Time to Make It: about 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
6 large russet potatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup butter
4 oz cream cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 to 2 cups shredded smoked Gouda Cheese
Instructions
1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large stockpot. (If you need more liquid to cover your potatoes, you can add in water.)
2. Meanwhile, peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut them into bite-size pieces. Pace them in the chicken broth. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of pieces.
3. Drain the liquid from the potatoes. Add in butter, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Use a hand mixer to whip until smooth, or mash together with a potato masher until cheese and butter are melted.
4. Mix in the Smoked Gouda until cheese is melted. Serve hot.
Be sure you stop by Shisler’s Cheese House and to grab your supply of Smoked Gouda!
That’s Some Gouda Cheese Righta There!
Even though it originated in the city of Gouda in the Netherlands, Gouda cheese is produced all around the world. It’s often served alongside crackers and fruits, but Gouda works well in other dished such as macaroni and cheese, vegetable casseroles and especially in quiche. It provides a small amount of almost all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly and is a good source of several important nutrients, but be sure to balance the nutritional benefits with its high fat, salt and calories.
Definition
All Gouda cheese is made from cow’s milk and shaped into a round wheel. It’s aged for 1 to 6 months, but sometimes for as long as 6 years. Young Gouda is pliant and smooth with a mild flavor, while Gouda aged for a longer time is hard and flaky with more intense flavor. The cheese is usually covered with wax that can be any color. A coating of black wax means it has been aged for at least 12 months.
Calcium
One ounce of Gouda provides 198 milligrams of calcium, which is 20 percent of the recommended daily value based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Calcium builds and maintains bones, not only during periods of growth, but also throughout your life, as bones continuously discard old and damaged bone and replace it with new bone. Calcium also has vital roles in muscle contraction, blood clotting and maintaining normal blood pressure. It may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus combines with calcium to form hydroxyapatite, which makes up about 65 percent of bone mass. Phosphorus is a key player in biochemical reactions that create energy, store genetic material and activate enzymes. It’s an important buffer that helps maintain a normal acid-base balance. You’ll get 155 milligrams, or 22 percent of the recommended daily intake, in 1 ounce of Gouda cheese.
Vitamin B-12
The same 1-ounce portion of Gouda cheese has .4 micrograms of vitamin B-12. Since the recommended daily intake is 2.4 micrograms, this amount is 16 percent of the daily value. Vitamin B-12 protects your heart by lowering levels of homocysteine, which is an amino acid associated with cardiovascular disease. This vitamin is also necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin, the creation of new cells and the growth and development of nerve cells.
Protein
Protein’s roles are almost too numerous to list. It’s found in every cell in the body, it’s responsible for the structure and function of tissues and organs and it works as enzymes, antibodies and messengers. One ounce of Gouda offers 7 grams of complete protein. This means that men get 12 percent of their recommended daily intake, while women get 15 percent.
Zinc
Research published online in February 2011 on The Cochrane Library website concluded that zinc lozenges reduce the duration and severity of a cold as long as they’re taken within 24 hours of the first symptoms. Zinc is also essential for normal growth and development, taste and smell, immune function and protein synthesis. One ounce of Gouda delivers 1 milligram of zinc, which is 12 percent of the recommended daily intake for women and 9 percent for men.
Let Shisler’s Cheese House give that healthy, cheesy boost that your body needs with our selection of Gouda cheese!
Delectable Recipes Using Smoked Gouda
Smoked Gouda
Smoked Gouda is special among all cheese produced in Holland. Though it is produced just like all other types of cheese in computerized dairy plants, this cheese is still smoked over smoldering hickory chip embers in brick ovens. For many, the best part of the cheese is the smoky, brown rind.
Gouda is produced from cow, goat, and sheep’s milk. Milk is obtained from cows that are purely grass fed, to make un-smoked or smoked Gouda. As the taste of Gouda cheese is mild, it is flavored with mustard, herbs, chipotles, nuts and spices like cumin and black pepper.
Smoked Gouda, with its unique taste, is ideal for many mouthwatering recipes.
Smoked Gouda and caramelized onion Quesadillas
These delicious Quesadillas are sure to impress your guests. You can pre-assemble Gouda, prosciutto and caramelized onions and bake the dish when you are ready to serve. To make this appetizing dish, you need the following:
- 1 thinly sliced onion
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ tsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp golden brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cups grated smoked Gouda cheese
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 ounces of chopped prosciutto
- 4 flour tortillas measuring 10 inches in diameter
Preparation method –
Take a heavy medium skillet and melt two tablespoons of butter in it over medium heat. Add onion, vinegar and brown sugar and sauté for a while. When the onion turns golden brown, remove and cool to room temperature.
Set the oven to 350ºF and preheat it. Divide the tortillas equally and sprinkle cheese on one half. On top of the cheese, sprinkle sautéed onions and prosciutto and season with pepper. Over this cheese mixture, fold the other half of the tortilla. Brush the tortillas and a large skillet with melted butter and place over medium heat. Tortillas must be cooked carefully until you find the brown dots appearing on them. When they are done, transfer to a baking sheet and bake till the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden. When they are done, transfer the quesadillas to a working surface and cut them into six triangles before arranging and serving from a platter.
Other exciting recipes you can enjoy using smoked Gouda include smoked Gouda and Arugula pasta salad, grilled pumpernickel and Gouda sandwich, creamy spinach with smoked Gouda au gratin, pork chops stuffed with smoked bacon and smoked Gouda, spinach and mushroom frittata with smoked Gouda and smoked Gouda mashed potatoes.
Prepare any of these recipes using smoked Gouda for your family and you will find them asking for more.
What recipes do you think Smoked Gouda would add flavor to?
