My friend Carol loves cheese and specifically raw milk cheese.
I love cheese too, but whether the milk has been processed, or not, means little to me.
A small cheese factory & farm in Thorp, Wisconsin has received several awards for their Gouda Cheese, made in the tradition of Holland, using raw milk.
The owner, Marieke, was born and raised in the Netherlands on a 60 cow dairy farm. Her husband was a dairy farmer too, & their story has brought them to Thorp,
where they now milk in excess of 350 cows.
Carol and I were ready for a road trip with Spring in the air, so off we went on Monday morning.
I don't know what I expected, but I did not expect to see such a nice layout.
The cheese store / gift shop is an inviting store with a variety of items which compliment cheese.
Several items made in Holland are also for sale.
But most importantly, the Gouda.
The cheese store women were knowledgeable and very generous with samples.
After tasting what I am sure is the most delicious Gouda I have ever had,
I got busy shopping.
The younger Gouda has a softer, creamier texture.
As you can see, I invested in a nice selection of cheese that will last me quite some time.
I also bought some Dutch Licorice Pastilles, and once those are gone, I'm probably going to have to go back, as I love love love those too.
I think there are tours of the cheese plant offered, next time for sure I'd like to do that.
As you can see, they are aging quite a few rounds of Gouda.
Award winning Gouda as seen through the window from inside the cheese store.
Those are Dutch Pine planks by the way, in case you were wondering.
Next time, I'd like to tour their dairy operations.
As you can see, their cows are large.
From what I could see inside the barn, the cows are Holsteins.
Now I'm starting my research on raw milk and the pros and cons.
This has been a controversial topic in this area over the past year or more and now I'm a bit more interested since I've tasted this delicious cheese.
Road trips are fun,
life is good.
No comments:
Post a Comment