Beemster Cheese

Beemster is a hard, Dutch cow's milk cheese. It was first made around 1900 in the Dutch polder Beemster.

History

Production of Beemster started around 1900 when farmers in the Beemster-polder formed the cooperative 'Wilhelmina'. In 1930 they joined with the other factory in the polder, 'De Unie', forming 'De Combinatie" (The Combination). Together they made a joint cheesemaking facility in West-Beemster called 'De Tijd', where Beemster cheese is still being made to the present day.

De Combinatie later joined with another cooperative De Vechtstreek forming CONO. CONO has about 475 farmers that deliver their milk to be transformed into about 30.000 tons of Beemster each year. In 2001 the Queen of The Netherlands awarded the title 'By Appointment to the Court of the Netherlands'

Production

Production of Beemster is similiar to other hard cheeses such as Gouda. The specific taste of Beemster stems from the ingredients (milk from grass grown on sea-clay in a polder 4 meters below sea-level) and from the fact that part of the production process (the stirring of the curd) is being done by hand.