Smoked Gouda is the Best Cheeseburger Cheese and You're All Fools if You Think Otherwise
It’s 6 o’clock in the evening. Friends and family chatter excitedly in the background. Kids run around playing nicely and not getting into your stuff. You’ve had a couple beers; enough to feel your mood lifted but not too much where you feel bloated or inebriated. Your stomach growls, and the hot grill beckons you. As your burger patty sizzles and you get ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor you realize you have but one choice left: which cheese with which do I adorn this beautiful burger?
Even the most red-blooded Americans among us can acknowledge with gratitude when another country achieves excellence. And our friends the Dutch have a lot to hang their hats on. Anyone can appreciate their beautiful, colorful tulip fields, or marvel at their expertly crafted windmills. Do your interests lie more on the red light side of things? Well, then Amsterdam has more than you are likely to handle. Between the art, the architecture, the renown biking paths and everything in between, clearly the Dutch know what they’re doing.
And that excellence is also reflected in their food, particularly their cheese. Just south of Amsterdam you will find yourself in one of the world’s most densely populated regions, the province of South Holland. And just a quick 27 minute train trip departing from Den Haag Centraal in The Hague headed east will find you in the city of Gouda, famous for their stroopwafels, smoking pipes, and of course, the cheese that so proudly bears its name.
One might be forgiven for passing over Gouda in the supermarket in favor of the more popular cheeses of the day, the cheddars, pepperjacks, and swisses. But to do so would be to turn up your nose to one of the oldest known cheeses still in production today. Dating back to the late 12th century, Gouda is as distinctly Dutch as fjords and wooden shoes. In fact, several specific varieties of Gouda cheese have names that are geographically protected, preventing cheese from bearing its name if the cheese was not made in the Netherlands from Dutch cows.
The centuries of Gouda cheese production have enabled the Dutch and those to whom they’ve passed on their affineuring secrets to perfect the process. The cheese is made by curdling the milk, washing the curds (resulting in a sweeter cheese), and finally soaking the resulting cheese in a heavy brine solution consisting of significant quantities of salt added to pre-boiled and cooled water. The cheese is brined for many hours, giving the cheese its distinctive taste. Much like wine or fine liquor, the aging process of Gouda can produce distinct, yet equally delicious, flavor profiles. The younger, milder Gouda stands in contrast to older, varieties with their smooth, almost sweet finish. Either could be smoked, a process where the cheese is placed over hickory chips in ancient brick ovens.
Whether you opt for the younger, milder and softer Gouda, or the older, harder aged Gouda you’re going to experience a creamy texture that melts easily. The flavor is distinctive, yet not overwhelming, and unique enough to not blend into the background. Whether you opt for Gouda to play the centerpiece to your meal, or simply an attractive side, your simple choice has instantly elevated your meal.
So as you survey your options at the grill, what are you to do? Sure, cheddar or American cheese is the safe, known choice. You know what you’re getting, as you know you’ll forget about that burger five minutes after it falls victim to your gaping maw. But why not set those aside? Why not embrace eight centuries of old world perfection, and indulge in the richness that Gouda so eagerly offers? The discerning gentleman, the woman with high standards she’s not afraid to hold herself and others to, for them the choice is quite simple: Gouda. Indulge, and change your cheeseburger experience forever.
