Cheeses


MariekeTM is our signature cheese made with an authentic Old World Gouda recipe. The equipment, cultures, herbs and spices are all imported from Holland. The rBGH free cows milk couldn’t be fresher being piped directly from the first milking of the day directly into the processing vat. The curd is hand packed into 18 pound forms before going under the press. It is then brined for 60 hours. The wheels are then transferred to the special curing room and aged on Dutch pine planks which absorb the liquid as the cheese ages. For the first 14 days the cheese is turned (flipped over) daily to ensure that the butterfat is evenly distributed throughout the cheese. The wooden planks are also cleaned daily and turned to prevent molds. During this time the breathable coating is hand painted on the cheese. After the initial daily turning is complete the cheese is turned twice weekly for as long as it is in our facility.

The Gouda is available in 13 flavors. Year-round flavors include Plain of various ages, Italian Herb, Onion/Garlic, Smoked and award winning Foenegreek. Foenegreek is a seed that is native to Holland and has a nutty, maple like flavor. Seasonal flavors include Black Pepper Mix, Cumin, Black Mustard, Garden Herb, Burning Nettle and Burning Nettle Melange, Mustard Melange and Yellow Mustard>

Recent Awards:

In 2007 Marieke’s Foenegreek Gouda won Best of Class for flavored semi-soft cheese in the United States Championship Cheese Contest which is sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. More recently it won a second place rating in the 2008 World Championship Cheese Contest. Also taking a second place was Marieke’s Plain Gouda.

The World’s competition, held in Madison, WI, hosted 19 nations from around the globe and judged over 1900 entries. An international panel of cheese experts worked for three days to select medalists in 79 cheese and butter classes. All in all an outstanding achievement for a small company such as Holland’s Family Cheese.