Aged Gouda at TJ's

Stopped the other day at a Long Island Trader Joe's on our way back to Montreal. Bought a "Dutch Tradition" aged (more than 3 years) Gouda. Oh boy! Golden brown in color, verging on crumbly, the flavor is strongly nutty, quite intense, and ends up melting in your mouth.

An excellent buy if you like that kind of thing.

Geo

I had this same cheese from a small shop on Clark st. last summer. It was indeed outstanding. Similar in texture to good Parmesan Reggiano, but with an entirely different flavor profile.

Aged gouda is one of my favorite cheeses. Unfortunately, I can never remember what brands I get, but I've tasted everything up to 7-year gouda. In my opinion, the best balance between flavor and texture is at around 4-5 years. There's a 5-year old gouda I get from Sam's that comes from California, I believe, that is simply outstanding. It has a beautiful whiskey and nutty aroma. It's dry and intense, but still retains enough moisture that you can slice into it with a knife and not have it crumble all over the place.

I also like gouda because it makes an easy, crowd-pleasing cheese spread. Get a fresh gouda, and a couple of aged goudas (one 3-year and one 5-year, for instance), or perhaps throw a smoked gouda in there as well, and there's enough of a range of flavors to make everyone happy. Also, comparing the progression of flavor from young to old makes great food conversation. Most of my friends are not foodies, but something as simple as this can bring out the taster in everyone.

I used to poo-poo goudas a bit because my only experience with them was with the younger, blander types most commonly available in supermarkets. Now, I think they are a very versatile and interesting cheese with a remarkable range of flavors depending on how long they've been aged.

We can get a nice 5-yr in Better Cheddar in KC. Lovely cheese. TJ's isn't that old, but it's still nice, and priced well.

I think we need further instructional elements Binko re: how to make the cheese spread!

Geo

Aged goat goudas (like Midnight Moon) are also spectacular cheeses, and pair up paricularly well with fruit, especially red grapes.

Geo wrote:We can get a nice 5-yr in Better Cheddar in KC. Lovely cheese. TJ's isn't that old, but it's still nice, and priced well.

I think we need further instructional elements Binko re: how to make the cheese spread!

Geo

Now, now, I didn't say it would spread, just that it wouldn't completely disintegrate into little pieces upon cutting into it.

Ah Binko! Wonderful cross-communication!

I wasn't asking how to make the cheese spread (verb) but rather how to make the cheese spread (noun)!

My interpretation of what you'd said was that you were going to mix a couple of the goudas and make a substance that spread (easily) on another medium. Via melting and alloying or somesuch process.

Otherwise, I'll just slice it and spread as it were. : )

Geo

HI,

Several years ago, Mike G reported buying six year old Gouda at Cheese Stands Alone. True to this community's lemming effect, in short order several visited to buy the same Gouda.

Sometime later I come into the store inquiring about the six year old Gouda. The owner gives me the once over, then announces, "You must be from the internet. Someone mistakenly reported I had six year old gouda, I have never had Gouda more than four years old." Of course to preserve the honor of the internet, I bought some.

Matt 'weighing' gouda at Cheese Stands Alone (GWiv archive photo)


The Cheese Stands Alone
4547 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773-293-3870

Regards,

Geo wrote:Ah Binko! Wonderful cross-communication!

I wasn't asking how to make the cheese spread (verb) but rather how to make the cheese spread (noun)!

My interpretation of what you'd said was that you were going to mix a couple of the goudas and make a substance that spread (easily) on another medium. Via melting and alloying or somesuch process.

Ah ha. It makes sense now. And I meant "cheese platter" where I said "cheese spread." (I was using "spread" as in "an abundance of food set out on the table," not noting that "spread," in the context of cheese, would have another more immediate meaning.) So, no, I would not dare to blend all these cheeses into one super cheese. Sounds a bit blasphemous to me but, hey, I could be wrong.

Incidentally, bit of trivia, "gouda" is pronounced "HOW-da" in the Netherlands (with that guttural "H" you associate with Germanic languages). Not that I would ever use that pronunciation here.

Man, how much more could we have gone wrong in our meanings?? (Let me count the ways... : )

Binko wrote:Not that I would ever use that pronunciation here.

Yeah, you never know WHAT interpretation a lurking Wisconsiner or Minnesotan might give to that particular sound... :^)

Geo