I have mentioned before that sometimes adjectives to describe a shoot are hard for me to come by and, truthfully, this is one of those times. But here it goes: amazing, fun, educational, filling, and soft and cuddly. Quite an assortment if you ask me. So, what is this episode all about?

Where The Food Comes From visited Marieke Gouda in Thorp, WI to make cheese! And not just any cheese — Gouda is a Dutch favorite that you don’t often see being made in the U.S. And this is the best we’ve ever had anywhere (including Holland). It was an amazing shoot. We had so much fun and left with very full tummies.

But before I get started about our day let me introduce you to Cheesemaker, Owner and CEO Marieke Penterman.

You can’t help but fall in love with her. Her accent, winning smile and absolutely hysterical personality are so addicting. And believe it or not her wit actually gave our host Chip Carter a run for his money which, as we all know, is not an easy thing to do.

Born in the Netherlands, Marieke grew up on a 60-head cattle farm in Holland, married and went into the business herself with her husband Rolf Penterman. In 2003, she and Rolf were looking to grow, but there’s no room to do that in tiny Holland. So they came to the United States — Wisconsin, and where better? — and established a 350-head cow dairy farm. It was a dream come true — but as is often the case, there was a downside.

After coming to America, Marieke missed the great Gouda cheese she grew up with and loved. Nothing she could find in the States came close. So she began to research how to do it herself. It’s funny how sometimes life takes us full circle. Marieke ended up going back to the Netherlands to learn how to make the authentic Dutch Gouda she craved. So many people are now glad she did. Just ask the crew of WTFCF and guests of her store the Café Dutchess. Such a great name.

In November of 2013 Marieke and her husband made her dream come true and they opened a state-of-the-art cheesemaking facility along Highway 29 in Thorp, WI. Folks. It doesn’t stop there. Marieke’s Gouda cheese has gone onto win over 200 awards. But her cheese isn’t the only champion.

Marieke received a gold award at the US Champion Cheese Contest in 2007. In 2013 she won the prestigious United States Grand Champion award for cheesemaking out of 1,702 entries from 30 states. Yikes, that’s a lot of competition! And in 2015 Marieke won the Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer Award. Fun fact 1: She is the first female to win this title.

Marieke’s response to all of this, “To win an award takes a whole team – it’s like [planning] a field trip.”

The Amazing And Fun Part!

I have said this many times, but it deserves to be repeated, just how important sanitary conditions are to me — and to the people who feed us. We have seen these precautions throughout many episodes and The House of Gouda was no exception.

Hair and beard nets, booties, lab coats, which I particularly liked because it was a blast from my nursing past, and hand sanitizer dips are all part of the package.

Up first is where the milk gets pumped into the production room. What’s interesting is the milk comes directly to the production room while Marieke’s cows are actually being milked in the barn just across the yard. Because the milk is coming in warm there is no need for further pasteurization and the milk stays warm until the wheels of cheese are made. Huh! Gives you an idea of just how fast the process is — straight from the tap, into the pipeline and turned immediately into yummy rounds of great gouda. Once the milk is in the vats enzymes, spices, and other ingredients are added.

Fun fact 2: There is a separate room that holds all the spices. Marieke said it is just like, “Grandma’s Pantry,” and she uses the same herbs and spices that are so popular in Dutch cooking to make different flavors of Gouda.

Full disclosure: I did smell the mixture in the first vat. I want you to close your eyes and think of a smell you associate with something fresh – like homemade baked bread – but with a rich and distinct buttery flavor. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine sure is.

The curd is drained, pressed, cut into giant blocks and put into circular molds by hand. Remember, I said things move fast?  At this point I was getting a bit twisted around and for some unknown reason my notes are even out of order. I am going to chalk it up to the fact that there was so much happening and I was too busy looking around. Yeah, I know quite a cop out.

Time For A Bath!

Once the cheese is in the wheel molds, the next destination is a brine bath (water with a high concentration of salt). The cheese wheels hang out in the bath for 60 hours before going to the aging room. Why do they have to stay in the salty tub for so long? Brine makes the cheese wheels hold together. Thank goodness. After all the work we have done to get to this point it would be a catastrophe if they fell apart.

Up Next, Besides Lunch, The Painting Of The Para!

I think the best way to describe “para” is it resembles a waxy substance that is painted on the Gouda. You know that layer on the outside of some cheeses that you’re never sure if you’re supposed to eat or not? That’s para. (For the record, it’s completely edible, but most people scrape or slice it off). Marieke’s para is totally natural. The para protects the cheese, allows it to breath, and helps keep it moist during the aging process. Good news for us: That layer of protection is what gives her Gouda a rich, distinct, and creamy flavor it is so well known for.

Side note: One of our crew members is not a fan of Gouda cheese. But once he tasted Marieke’s he became a total convert. In his opinion, Marieke’s Gouda is, “Very flavorful, bursting in fact. Is not bland the way standard Gouda is.” He goes on to to say, “Texture is a little softer than a good parmesan with a buttery feel.” In my opinion these compliments deserve a WTFCF award for Marieke. I know, not only a side note but a digression as well.

Marieke demonstrated how to paint a thin layer of para on a wheel of cheese. She then gave Chip the opportunity. Personally, I don’t think he was painting the Gouda wheel to her satisfaction. I don’t know if he was putting it on too thick or if he was too slow, but she quickly took back the brush. Again, just my opinion. 

The robustness of the cheese is affected by the aging process. Marieke’s Gouda Young is fermented for two to four months versus her Gouda Mature which ages six to nine months. And there is everything in between and a wide variety of flavors, like honey clover, Hatch pepper, cranberry, and bacon! 

The Final Process!

To the cutting room! Hang in there we are almost done. The final process is the cutting of the cheese wheel. This my friends is a three step process.

In a nutshell, first Marieke manually cuts a small core out of the center of the cheese. Then she puts the cheese on a table saw that cuts it in half. Finally, a second machine finishes cutting out the core.

The small holes Marieke is showing us are actually called the eyes and are something you definitely want to see. It has to do with a chemical reaction between citric acid (found in small quantities in the cow’s milk) and a specific bacterium. They metabolize into carbon dioxide and diacetyl which gives Gouda cheese its buttery and distinctive flavor. That was a lot – class dismissed. Next the cheese is sliced and wrapped. Shooo, we made it.

The Ultimate Filling Part!

After an amazing and extremely filling lunch, which I truly will not talk about because it will probably take another 500 words, Marieke and Chip had a conversation in the loft of Café Dutchess.

Marieke talked about how well Gouda pairs with beer and other beverages. With love in her eyes, she talked about her husband, their business, and no surprise – her cows. You will hear it all in the episode.

What did they have prepared for us? You guessed it, a charcuterie board filled with more amazing Gouda cheese varieties and a couple of bottles of beer.

The Soft And Cuddly Part!

I love looking at cows. I call them “moo cows,” which truly embarrasses one of my sons. He will get over it. But I digress.

Marieke and Chip walked up the rows of not brand-new baby cows, but baby cows. I could not hear the interview. So, what was I doing? Trying to video chat with my grandchildren so they could see this amazing sight. I was not successful.

As you can see Chip is making friends with one of the babies who had the most beautiful brown eyes. But what is Marieke doing? Playing a bit of a trick on Chip and branding him with her sticker. One of our cameramen had no trouble making friends at all. I tried, but was very unsuccessful. The poor babies kept backing up in their little houses when I started coming close. I really don’t think I am that scary.

Just Because They’re Cute Pictures!

If you are ever in Wisconsin do yourself a favor and visit the House Of Gouda. Let them show you around the Milking Parlor and Cow Spa Barn. But whatever you do don’t forget to taste the cheese.

After All Gouda Cows Make Gouda Cheese!