The
Most
Delicious
Cheese
Ever!
... So says Sara, the cheesemonger at River City Cellars, in Richmond, Virginia.
The river in question is the James River. The cheese in question is an aged Gouda, from the Netherlands. Say 'GOO-dah,' or, if you're traveling in the Low Countries, say 'KHOW-dah,' sounding as if you were about to clear your throat (but won't).
Gouda, a cow's milk cheese, has a fairly high milk-fat content —near 50%— a chewy loaf, and a nutty/creamy flavor. But, ah, when it's been aged! It takes on a firmer cheddar-like texture, it deepens in color to near orange, it gains a rich nutty/sharp/sweet complexity, and it sprouts crunchy crystals of lactic acid, derived from the fermentation of cheese's sugar —lactose.
Pair your Gouda with a nutty beer, like a märzen, or a toasty beer like a bock, or a doppelbock, with its sweet plummy flavors. Delightful.
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- More about cheese-with-beer here.
- Pic(k) of the Week: one in a weekly series of personal photos, often posted on Saturdays.
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What I just posted on Tom's Facebook link: "Is that the same Gouda the Capital Ale Houses use on a burger? They've been making a concerted effort for the last year or so to use more locally made products, including cheese."
ReplyDeleteGregg Wiggins recently retired from his long-time position as photographer-in-residence and writer for Mid-Atlantic Brewing News. He now regales us with tales of his warm-clime exploits on his Facebook page. Honored that he's reading the blog.
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