On exploring gouda in a historic Netherlandish landscape
Kinderdijk, Netherlands, is a stunning landscape of dikes, canals, and windmills that create polders, or land reclaimed from the sea, to help manage floods. The iconic Dutch town, which was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, is home to the highest number of windmills in the country. There’s a good chance that if you close your eyes and picture the Netherlands, Kinderdijk is likely what you imagine.
While feeding an obsession with trying cheeses from their toponyms—preferably while visiting that place—I found myself at Biokaas Kinderdijk, a family-owned dairy located within this historic landscape. The windmills of Kinderdijk are spectacular, but tasting this traditionally made gouda in a quintessentially Dutch location was an unforgettable experience.
Biokaas Kinderdijk is about 15 years old, but an organic dairy, founded by the Van den Haspel family, has existed on the property for almost 100 years. When the original owners passed, André van Houwelingen took over. He had been working at the dairy since he was a young boy, interested in agriculture and eager to learn about cheesemaking. Today, it is still a family affair, with cousins, nieces, brothers, and children all working at the creamery.
Kinderdijk sits below sea level and has the perfect climate for growing grass. The milk for Biokaas cheese comes from their herd of cows that graze freely; unless the weather is bad, the cows are never forced to return to the barn, nor are they treated with hormones or antibiotics.
Van Houwelingen works to keep traditional craftsmanship alive, and in keeping with tradition, some processes are more labor-intensive. For example, their cheeses aren’t coated in the red wax that’s so often associated with gouda. Instead, van Houwelingen allows the rind to develop naturally, so the cheese is aged for longer. Additionally, Biokaas Kinderdijk cheeses aren’t made with homogenized milk, which results in varying color and structure from batch to batch. With no added coloring, flavoring, fragrances, or preservatives, their high-quality gouda is truly 100 percent natural.
But is their gouda better than other goudas? Perhaps the answer lies not just in flavor but in place. Surrounded by windmills in land reclaimed from the sea, you’re not only savoring the cheese, you’re tasting the culture of the Netherlands itself. For me, gouda is now forever paired with windmills.
If you’d like to purchase Biokaas Kinderdijk cheese outside of the Netherlands, reach out to the dairy via email info@biokaaskinderdijk.nl. If you’re local, visit the Rotterdamse Oogstmarkt on Saturdays. Go early to beat the line—and get Biokaas gouda before it sells out.
Penny Sadler
Penny Sadler is a travel, wine, and food writer based in Dallas, Texas. After multiple trips to wine country in California and the Old World, she studied with Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Since wine loves cheese, Penny began sharing stories of cheesemakers and mongers she met in her travels (Chef ’s Dish, p. 19). She’s currently honing her caseiculture knowledge at Cheese State University, and you can follow her on Instagram @adventuresofacarryon.
