Q&A with cheese girl Femke Nijland

The Nijland family makes cheese. Very delicious cheese that has won prestigious awards, that is. Their cows can always go outside and when they’re inside, they lie on waterbeds and are massaged. Not bad.

Femke Nijland’s honey goat’s cheese and XO (extra mature) cheese recently won a Super Gold Cheese Award, the Oscars of the cheese awards. Time for an interview about American sweet tooths and cheeseboards.

What is the difference between black and white pepper?

You won awards at the World Cheese Awards in England with the honey goat’s cheese. What makes that cheese so special?

It has to do with the process. We make everything by hand, which makes the cheese much creamier. It is also coated with honey, and that sweetness sets it apart. What we often hear is, ‘oh, it doesn’t taste that much like goat at all’. In the past, when you ate goat’s cheese, you really had ‘goat in your mouth’, but that’s no longer the case. The quality of the milk, and therefore of the cheese, has improved enormously.

You are expanding into America because your cheese is so enormously popular there. Why do you think your goat’s cheese is such a hit with Americans?

It is Gouda cheese, not cheddar. Cheddar is somewhat drier than our cheeses. Our flavour is creamier, and Americans also simply quite like sweet things, haha. Of course, it has to be imported, so a piece of cheese weighing half a kilo quickly costs $20,- to $25,- there. They often buy a small piece, though. So not everything goes big size.

What do Americans still need in terms of cheese? And how are you going to provide it?

There is a gap in the market for ‘simply good cheese’. That may sound very obvious, but Americans really appreciate craftsmanship and the story behind products. Farmers markets selling local cheeses are popular, but we are one of the few who can supply Dutch farm-produced Gouda. We mainly supply supermarkets. Murray’s, for example, is a well-known cheese shop in America.

What is your favourite cheese?

The Boer’n Trots XO (extra mature). It is matured for at least 80 weeks. It has a slightly nutty flavour and crumbles. It also won the Super Gold Cheese Award. That means you won gold in your own category. After 60 gold-winning cheeses, we were among the best 13. This cheese is delicious on a cheeseboard, but also in pasta, for example, or with a lovely fresh salad.

How do you prefer to eat cheese?

I think on a cheeseboard. As pure as possible. The Boer’n Trots XO, the honey goat’s cheese and the herb varieties (tomato-olive and truffle, for example) are perfect for that. There definitely has to be good mature cheese on it. Instead of the XO, you could also choose the Boer ‘n Trots clover cheese, for example.

What is your dream recipe with cheese? Which cheese do we need for it?

What I really enjoy is a toasted sandwich, or actually two thick slices of delicious bread baked in the oven with our Boer ‘n Trots clover cheese. I eat it with an onion and raisin chutney. It tastes really delicious. By the way, that chutney comes from someone in our neighbourhood, nice and local. They’re called ‘t Nije Eskes.

What is your next cheese goal?

To become better known in America. We are also working on a new type of cheese: a plain variety without herbs. I’m really curious about that. The starter culture and the adapted recipe make it somewhat more complicated to produce, so it isn’t ready yet. Normally, you need to have the milk at a certain temperature (30°C); we are now looking into whether we can adjust that and thereby influence the flavour.

What is your biggest irritation when it comes to cheese?

You can use cheese in so many different ways that you are unlikely to go far wrong. My irritation has more to do with how people handle cheese. For example, cold cheese on a cheeseboard. Cheese should be at room temperature on the board. It must not be too warm either, because then all the fat runs out. So don’t put cheese in the sun. And there could be a bit more texture on a board. Crumble some cheeses, instead of only having silly cubes.

Where can we buy cheese from Landgoed Kaamps?

For outlets selling our Boer’n Trots cheese, take a look at the Landgoed Kaamps website. Otherwise, come along to Deurningen!