Sunday, February 28, 2010

Prima Donna: a Dutch cheese that thinks it's Italian

I always like trying new cheeses and came across one yesterday in our local deli that's a real curiosity: a Dutch cheese that's made to taste like parmesan. It's called - and this has to be an idea of some marketing department - Prima Donna and is made by a company called Vandesterre in the style of a Gouda. (It can't be classified as Gouda because of the fat content which is only 45% compared to the minimum 48% required for Gouda.)

It's much softer and more pliable than a parmesan but has quite a kick though less bitterness than a mature cheddar. Unlike many cheeses it tastes pretty good straight out of the fridge (as I can testify as I'm nibbling it right now!)

I suspect it would be very good to cook with and might also pair well with full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot (by no means true of all hard cheeses)

The only downside is that it's quite difficult to cut as my cheesemonger found (above). You can see that it split when it was cut. But who cares when it tastes this good?

There is apparently a milder version so look out for the red label and the word 'maturo' if you want the real McCoy.

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

I must to say the cheese drives me crazy, I approach every time for eat cheese and I add in my recipes all the time. I read some days ago the cheese have many properties and vitamin. The most important thing is the potassium and calcium the cheese contain. I am sure that When i buying my house through costa rica homes for sale i will prepare a dinner for all my friends and I will add many cheese. That will be wonderful.

lovescheese said...

I have fallen madly in love with this cheese. It is soft, yet there is just a little crunch to the texture, and it's a bit crumbly. It has a soft bite over a subtle flavor that just makes my taste buds sing. It's hard to stop eating it. It pairs really nicely with a Cab, but even a Chard will do!