Leerdammer
Encyclopedia
Leerdammer is a Dutch
semi-hard cheese
made from cow's milk
. It has an aging time of around 3–12 months.
It has a creamy white texture and was made to be similar in appearance and flavor to Emmental
, but it is rounder in taste. It has a sweet and somewhat nutty flavour that becomes more pronounced with age. It also has distinct holes in it. In a past advertisement campaign this was made use in claiming jokingly that "the taste is around the holes".
The cheese is produced exclusively by le Groupe Bel
. The Leerdammer name is a trade mark of Bel Leerdammer B.V.
Leerdammer cheese is produced in Schoonrewoerd
in the municipality of Leerdam
, the city which gave Leerdammer its name. Generic Leerdammer-style cheese is sold as Maasdam cheese
.
The cheese was developed by Cees Boterkooper, who owned a small dairy in Schoonrewoerd since 1914, and Bastiaan Baars, who ran a cheese shop in a nearby village. The two met in 1970, and soon afterward decided to collaborate. They worked on a cheese that could compete with Gouda and Edam. Leerdammer was launched in 1977.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
semi-hard cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
made from cow's milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
. It has an aging time of around 3–12 months.
It has a creamy white texture and was made to be similar in appearance and flavor to Emmental
Emmental (cheese)
Emmental or Emmentaler is a cheese from Switzerland. It is sometimes known as Swiss cheese in North America, Australia and New Zealand, although Swiss cheese does not always imply Emmentaler....
, but it is rounder in taste. It has a sweet and somewhat nutty flavour that becomes more pronounced with age. It also has distinct holes in it. In a past advertisement campaign this was made use in claiming jokingly that "the taste is around the holes".
The cheese is produced exclusively by le Groupe Bel
Groupe Bel
Bel Group or Groupe Bel is a multinational cheese marketer centered in France.The Bel Group, based in the 8th district of Paris, 16 boulevard Malesherbes, manufactures and distributes processed and semi-processed cheeses, frequently packaged in individual portions...
. The Leerdammer name is a trade mark of Bel Leerdammer B.V.
Leerdammer cheese is produced in Schoonrewoerd
Schoonrewoerd
Schoonrewoerd is a village in the western Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Leerdam, South Holland, about 25 km south of Utrecht. Leerdammer cheese is produced in Schoonrewoerd....
in the municipality of Leerdam
Leerdam
Leerdam is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.The municipality covers an area of 34.32 km² of which 0.53 km² is water. It comprises the town of Leerdam, the rural villages Kedichem, Schoonrewoerd and Oosterwijk. The south border of the...
, the city which gave Leerdammer its name. Generic Leerdammer-style cheese is sold as Maasdam cheese
Maasdam cheese
Maasdam cheese is a Dutch cheese in a Swiss-style. Made from cow's milk, it is aged for at least 4 weeks. It ripens faster than other Dutch cheeses. Maasdam has internal holes from the ripening process, and a smooth yellow rind. Sometimes it is waxed like Gouda. The cheese was created to compete...
.
The cheese was developed by Cees Boterkooper, who owned a small dairy in Schoonrewoerd since 1914, and Bastiaan Baars, who ran a cheese shop in a nearby village. The two met in 1970, and soon afterward decided to collaborate. They worked on a cheese that could compete with Gouda and Edam. Leerdammer was launched in 1977.