Cheese Of The Month: Brabander Goat Gouda

By Erika Kubick in Food on Feb 6, 2015 8:30PM

Valentine’s Day is about celebrating the love in your life. Maybe you’re in a relationship and you’ll spend the 14th with a dinner date and a bouquet of flowers; maybe you’re single and the day means defying the societal infrastructure of codependent love and celebrating yourself with a 14” pizza for one.

Regardless of what your relationship status says on Tinder, there is hope for a pleasurable Valentine’s Day this year. We plan to spend the night in the sultry throws of a love affair set ablaze with passion for our current cheese crush, Brabander Goat Gouda from Fromagerie L’Amuse in the Netherlands.

Brabander is made from pasteurized milk from Saanen goats in the Brabant region of South Holland. She’s aged for about six months, a relatively short time compared to other goudas that are often aged for upwards of seven years. Brabander is milder than her older cow’s milk cousins, which usually boast a crunchy toffee texture and notes of butterscotch; nor does she have the barny, rambunctious flavors of younger chèvres.

Rather, she’s more delicate and sophisticated, with sweet, floral notes of berries, cotton candy and honey thistle. Beneath her enchanting white-waxed rind, her paste is moist, silken, and dotted with small holes. She’s beautiful, creative and brainy; she even speaks multiple languages and watches international films. Brabander is that cheese you’ve always wanted to date, but didn’t have the courage. Now is your chance.

Enjoy Brabander with a little salted dark chocolate or sparkling rosé to enhance her special notes of strawberries and cream. Or, if you wish, you can enjoy Brabander simply naked. If you already have a Valentine this year, you needn't fret. Brabander has an open mind; she'll be your unicorn.

You can find Brabander at Pastoral, Eataly, Potash Market, and Marion Street Cheese Market.