Komijnekaas (cumin cheese) – a classic Dutch gouda-style cheese seasoned with cumin and caraway seeds.
“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
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.
This cheese is available all year round.
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.
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.
Those little cumin and caraway seeds can be lethal if inhaled wrong or get stuck in your teeth, so tread with caution.
Heather is a writer, photographer and explorer of the world with bylines in Porthole Cruise Magazine, Taste&Travel International, Holland.com, and ACCESS Magazine, amongst others. She is addicted to pen, paper, hotels, organisation and hippos. In addition to Cloggie Central, you can find her over at Travel Gluttons.
I'm still on the fence about komijnekaas. I'm not sure if I like it or not.
[…] the latest edition, #217), wrapped packages for our 7-year old’s upcoming birthday, even komijnekaas for my wife (her favorite cheese and extremely hard–if even possible–to find here). […]
Thanks Heather for the correct spelling of the cheese that I only knew as a kid, as "kaminakaas" which was the snack we had while playing cards at an Aunt and Uncle's house. I only knew it by the sound of the word, as parents would not teach us the Dutch language. The cheese we had , however only had caraway seeds, and not the cumin seeds.
Where can I purchase Komijne Kaas in the Boise/Meridian Idaho area. Thanks !