Who doesn’t love cheese? But what kind of cheese is your favorite? Now that’s a hard call. So we headed for Wisconsin to see how the masters do it. We went with our heads full of visions of cheddar and colby – and came away amazed instead by the fact that the world’s best cheese might be something that’s ‘Gouda Nuff’ to share with everybody.
Gouda is a Dutch classic and it’s certainly not a Wisconsin specialty. So leave it to the Dutch to bring it here. Marieke Penterman grew up in Holland and was dairy farming with her husband there. They wanted to grow, but there’s really no room to do that in The Netherlands. Wide-open Wisconsin seemed the natural choice so they packed up the farm and moved to the States.
But even in the U.S. Capital of Cheese Wisconsin, Marieke was getting homesick for her favorite Dutch classic. Being a dairy operator, she certainly had the raw materials. And making gouda is the same process as making any other cheese. There was one small problem: Marieke didn’t know how to make Gouda… or any kind of cheese. But she was determined to recreate her favorite flavor from home. She went all in and launched Marieke Gouda, making a full line of nothing but Gouda cheeses that are now starting to show up in finer establishments across the land. Honestly, it’s the best we’ve ever had anywhere – including Holland.
And Marieke will soon become just the third female Master Cheesemaker in Wisconsin’s storied history. Of course our host Chip Carter rolled up his sleeves and went to work right alongside her and the crew. He picked up a few pointers along the way – not to mention a style tip: No spoilers, but be sure to keep watching this one after the credits!
