Background information about Dutch raw milk cheese

The Netherlands is a country that historically is associated with cheese. Dutch soil was and is pre-eminently suitable for cattle-breeding and their remains have been found in the northern part of the Netherlands dating back to 1600 B.C. In Friesland in the north of The Netherlands, pots and vessels were discovered which indicate that as early as two centuries B.C., cheese was being made there. An extensive trade has existed since the Middle Ages.

Around the year 1100 Dutch bargemen paid their tolls in cheese at Koblenz in Germany. In bills of the city of Rotterdam dating back to 1426, mention is made of the profession of ‘caescoper’ (cheesemonger). In 1266 the City of Haarlem obtained the right to hold a dairy market. In 1303, Leyden was next, Oudewater in 1326 and Alkmaar in 1365.

For centuries cheese making was a craft usually undertaken by women. Using only raw milk from their farm and other natural ingredients. Thanks to industrialization and innovations in the cheese making process nowadays over 98% of all Dutch cheese is produced in modern creameries. To be able to produce vast quantities of bulk Dutch cheese they pasteurize  and homogenize the raw milk from the farm before using it in cheese production. The advantage is an enormous quantity of cheese of predictable quality against affordable prices. The economies of scale of producing cheese in large factories allows the use modern marketing techniques to brand their cheese . Distribution is usually via supermarkets. The disadvantage of bulk production of cheese is that the taste quality of cheese is disappearing.

Dutch raw milk cheese farmers

Luckily there are about 400 small Dutch farmers who still produce real artisanal cheese on their farm. Using only natural ingredients which are not treated like unpasteurized raw milk. The cheese of these small farmers often has an excellent taste quality.  Unfortunately the scale of their operation is too small to be able to afford marketing expertise. Most farmers sell their cheeses locally. They do not have the resources to investigate the export possibilities.

International aspects of raw milk cheese production

Raw milk cheese production is mainly a market niche of small scale farmers. The situation is more or less the same in each country. Thanks to the resistance of a few concerned consumers, Raw Milk production in Europe is still allowed.

Source: http://www.visitholland.nl/index.php/Typical-Holland/dutch-cheese.html