Artisan Cheeses By Type of Cheese: Leyden Leyden cheese, like Edam, originates from the Dutch homeland in the area around the city of Leiden (in Holland it is spelled Leiden, but everywhere else you’ll find it carrying the name Leyden). This cheese, like its cousin Edam, has a rich heritage, and extraordinary quality goes into each step of Leyden cheesemaking. Just like Edam, it is made from rich, skimmed milk, but this is where the similarities end. Leyden cheese has the additional ingredient of creamy buttermilk and is a deliciously firm, subtly spicy tasting dairy treat. This cheese is truly unique in flavor because of the cumin used to season it. As Leyden cheese ages, the cumin seeds draw out whey from the curds, giving it a drier, firmer texture than Edam. In Holland it is known as Cumin Cheese, but because of its popularity around the city of Leiden it is exported under the name of Leyden. Its history is rather mysterious; no one seems to know how this cheese first came about. One popular theory is that an apprentice cheesemaker was munching on some cumin seeds—a very popular spice in Holland—and accidentally dropped a handful into the cheese vat. In fear of being fired, he didn’t tell the cheesemaker and when the cheese was tasted, they all loved it! Lucky for him, huh? Come to think of it—luck for us! |
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