Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

Aside from reasonably priced furniture, when one thinks of Ikea, one tends to envisage Swedish meatballs and cranberry sauce, mmm, want some now! (at least I do). Little did I know that they also produce some rather lovely cheese.

Cheese from Ikea: Ost Herrgard

Meet Ost Herrgard—a smooth, buttery and nutty number with more than a little resemblance to Leerdammer. Mild yet delicious, you could easily scoff slices of this on its own. My family and I decided to eat the French way and pair this Swedish delight with some fresh seeded bread. And I might add that this was after a hefty meal.




Still, I would say we were simply paying fromage, I mean homage, to French turophile Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who once declared: “Dessert without cheese is like a beauty with only one eye.” I don’t know of any similar nuggets of cheese wisdom from a Swede (person not vegetable), but I do like the Swedish proverb: “Wisdom is in the head and not in the beard.” Who knew?

Holier than thou: Leerdammer vs. Maasdam

I don’t usually give much time to Dutch cheese. It’s nothing personal, I just get sidelined by all the seductive French fromage, not to mention stinky Swiss produce. This time, during my usual mosey down the cheese aisle, something bright yellow caught my eye. Not mustard, nor a canary or a daffodil. Leerdammer.

A lot of vowels, a few holes. Why not! It only seemed right to pick another Dutch number for this battle of the tastebuds. I might add that neither brand burnt a hole in the wallet. It also occurred to me I could eat more than usual to make up for all the extra air in each portion. That’s logic right there.

Leerdammer

Melted Leerdammer with avocado and quince jelly

Unlike last week’s funky cheeses, Leerdaamer is mild-smelling, smooth and has decent holiness. Maybe I imagined it, but I felt slightly blessed after eating it. The soft elastic texture and mild taste reminded me of Baby Bel. After some quick Googling, this isn’t surprising because Baby Bel’s parents—the Bel Group—also produce Leerdammer.

Melted, it was even better. Gooey and creamy, it went down a treat with my crispy tortilla (perhaps a tad too crispy due to our ultra-powerful grill), quince jelly and avocado. Well done! 4/5.

Maasdam

Not as deliciously creamy as Leerdammer, this traditional Dutch cheese is firmer and nuttier. Not that I’m opposed to nutty, far from it. Like Leerdammer, it is superior when melted. Although I must say it didn’t ooze with as much abandon. Not as fond of this one. 2/5

Melted Maasdam with carrot and courgette frittata

Overall, I clearly preferred Leerdammer. The two aren’t so dissimilar; and yet, it’s the small details that make a hole lot of difference.