Dutch Food Delights: Komijnekaas

What

Komijnekaas (cumin cheese) – a classic Dutch gouda-style cheese seasoned with cumin and caraway seeds.
 

Why

“Traditionally, the farms in the Netherlands produced butter for the local markets. Butter had to be produced locally as it spoiled quickly. This resulted in a by-product of semi-skimmed milk, which was usually fed to calves, as it was of limited value. Another way to use the milk was to produce low-fat cheese. Low-fat cheeses could be preserved better than full-cream cheese (such as Gouda), especially at higher temperatures. Farmers in the area near Leiden added cumin seeds and used to colour their cheeses using anatto, which gives the cheese its red color.” – Wikipedia
 

Where

You can get komijnekaas from the supermarket, cheese shops or direct from the cheese farm itself. Meaning there is no excuse to not try it.
 

When

This cheese is available all year round.
 

Varieties

There are several different brands and cheese farmers that produce this cheese, so each one is bound to differ slightly. For example, the type I had today did not have caraway seeds.
 

How Much [Should I Eat]

I have a feeling that this is one of those, love it or hate it type of foods. Luckily for me, I love it! There is something so delicious and oddly refreshing about the taste of cumin to break up the every-day cheese flavour.
 

Pas Op! (Watch Out!)

Those little cumin and caraway seeds can be lethal if inhaled wrong or get stuck in your teeth, so tread with caution.