L'Amuse Gouda is hand selected and aged at Fromagerie L'Amuse by Affineur Betty Koster. Betty prefers to age her goudas in rooms without climate control, at warmer ambient temperatures than would generally be used (around 54°F). This inevitably develops a denser paste along with a fuller flavor cheese. The cheese is covered in an orange wax rind to represent the color of cow's milk cheese inside the wax.
In the cheesemaking process, the curds are washed, removing the acidic whey, and then put into moulds, pressed, and brined. Washing the curds results in sweeter cheese as it ages, as opposed to a Cheddar that gets sharper as it ages.
Vibrantly orange with crunchy bits of tyrosine crystals, the caramel, hazelnut, and butter notes make for a sweet bite. Just call it cheese candy!
Picture credits @ producer
