When many traditional cheese dairies were absorbed by bigger players years ago, a number of characteristic cheeses threatened to disappear along with these authentic cheesemakers. For Jan and Helga it was a sign to choose the hardest path: to make an artisanal Burgundian cheese brimming with character themselves, following the age-old cheesemaking tradition. With Belgian milk, processed and matured in the heart of West Flanders. The result is on your plate every day.
At Flandrien Kaas, we opted for clear, distinctive tastes from the outset. So we have no fewer than four maturing times. Resulting in cheeses brimming with character.
Cheese, it's something delightful.
But it's also a challenging product. It's no coincidence that cheese making is called the second most difficult craft after winemaking.
Because no matter how much technology advances, those who make cheese according to old traditions know that there are so many natural factors that must be just right.
Factors such as the quality of the milk, as well as the moisture content, air circulation, and temperature in the cheese production and aging rooms all influence the taste of the cheeses.
The unique flavor of a cheese is achieved, among other things, by adding rennet and culture to the milk. The milk used for Flandrien Kaas is Belgian milk, which in itself imparts a specific taste. And the rennet and culture, along with our own brine (made with water, salt, and minerals), are among the best-kept secrets of Flandrien Kaas...
Lastly, there's the aging time of the cheeses. From the beginning, Flandrien Kaas has chosen to age our cheeses longer than other Gouda cheeses, resulting in distinctive flavors.