TRAVEL

Dutchtreatforfoodlovers

WHY, exactly, was Ileaving the land of Stilton and Red Leicester to visit thehome of Edam? my friends asked me when I told themabout my cheese-themed trip to Holland.

It was a fair question. But we Brits may not have ex-perienced the real deal when it comes to Dutch cheese.A cheese-themed city break seemed the ideal way to

test the theory they like to keep the good stuff at home.Where to go, then? Amsterdam maybe, but, y‘know,

been there, done that. Rotterdam seemed a more inter-esting alternative, not least for its proximity to Gouda,the spiritual home of Dutch cheese.

Rotterdam is surprisingly easy to get to. Just as airtravel has become an increasingly tiresome and dispir-iting experience, journeys by rail are now faster andmore comfortable.

Taking the Eurostar from St Pancras International toBrussels and changing to the high-speed Thalys trainmeant a journey time of four hours.

Both trains provide plenty of leg-room, space towander around and a remarkably smooth and quietride. You arrive in the centre of Rotterdam feeling freshand ready to explore.

The first thing that hits you is the skyline. This is amust for lovers of modern urban landscapes, for whichthe dubious thanks go to the Luftwaffe, which laid wasteto the city on May 14, 1940. What emerged from therubble is Manhattan on the Maas, a collection of thrill-ing and unusual high-rise buildings and modernclassics such as the iconic Erasmus Bridge.

I made my way to one of the most stunning landmarkbuildings in pursuit of my first cheese hit. Leicestermight be quietly pleased with its market hall, but thenew Rotterdam Markthal is in a totally different league.

A 40m arch containing luxury flats towers over themarket hall, the interior walls of which are decoratedwith immense artworks of fresh produce. The “SistineChapel of food” tag does not actually seem thatridiculous.

The main floor has lock-up stalls which are open un-til 8pm. It’s new and smart but this is not about gift food– Rotterdam is a businesslike city and the prices hereare realistic.

There are several cheese specialists, notablyCromwijk, selling some 150 varieties of Dutch cheese –including the outstanding Oude Rotterdamsche and asuper-creamy Graskaas, made from the first milking ofthe cows when they have grazed on new spring grass.

The following day, my cheese pilgrimage really gotinto gear. A 20-minute train journey took me to Gouda(try saying “howder” – it won’t be quite right, but you’llget kudos for trying).

Every Thursday, from April to August, they recreatethe cheese market in the central square, where forsome 800 years farmers have brought in their bigrounds of cheese and agreed a price with tradersthrough a complex hand-slapping routine.

Nowadays, it’s a drama for the tourists, but it’s goodfun and crucially, there is a genuine market where youcan buy boerenkaas (farmhouse cheese), a world awayfrom the factory produced stuff.

You can also buy in De Waag – the medieval weighhouse which houses a cheese museum and touristinformation centre.

Gouda cheese is generally classified into six levelsof ageing and each has its virtues. The youngest, Jong,is pale, soft and mild, with progressive levels of matur-

ity creating a darker, firmer and more complex cheese.By the time you get to Oude, matured for at least 10months, you have got a crumbly, hard cheese withfudgey sweetness and slight crunch from salt crystals.It’s awesome stuff and justified my journey.

Pretty little Gouda is well worth a stroll around for acouple of hours. The Netherlands’ longest church, SintJanskerke, has a world class collection of 16th-centurystained glass windows.

Also, get down to atmospheric Museumhaven, wherea huge lock provides access from the Ijssel river to thecanal network. There’s a glorious little cafe where theebullient owner, Dick, will tell you stories about the

canal’s glory days while you feast on his signaturefondue and enjoy a beer. I recommend the fruityGoudsche kuyt, from the local stadsbrouwerij.

One more unmissable local treat – Gouda is alsohome to the stroopwaffel, those biscuits made with athick cinnamon syrup sandwiched between two layersof dough and baked in a waffle iron.

Patisserie Van den Berg on Lange Groeendaal hasbeen baking for135 years and is the ideal place tosample and buy.

And my sceptical friends? Let’s just say those who gota slice of what I brought back have changed their tune.■m

DUTCH DELIGHTS: Clockwise from top,Gouda’s Thursday cheese market; ErasmusBridge, Rotterdam; Gouda is home to theirresistible stroopwaffel; Sint Janskerkechurch, Rotterdam, and the city’s Markthal

More magazine food critic Tim Burke samples the delights of a cheese-themed city break in Holland

TIME HONOURED: A 20-minute train journey from Rotterdam, the pretty town of Gouda is famous for its cheeses

IF you are touring by car or bike, you could try get-ting out to a farm shop.

A good choice would be the family-run Schepcheese farm, in Bergambecht, about eight milessouth of Gouda.

Their Gouda was champion cheese of Hollandin 2010, and since then they’ve doubled the sizeof their herd of pedigree Friesians and now make1,300kg a day.

“It's fat and protein content that's important,”says farmer Jaap Schep.

“That's why our cows are outside all summerand we ensure that at least 50 per cent of theirdiet is grass all year round.”

In the farm shop you can buy top-notch Goudaof all ages, including the flavoured varieties withadded cumin or truffle.

BUYING FROMTHE FARM

WHERE TO EATRotterdam has many high end eateries, but if youwant to be ahead of the curve get down toRestaurant de Jong, which is in the hip DeHofbogen area.

Chef Jim de Jong produces plates of heart-breaking beauty with the emphasis on seasonalvegetables, flowers and herbs.

The menu changes every day but I had someremarkable cheese dishes with the highlightbeing pickled shallots with a goat’s cheese broth,lovage oil and radish flowers (pictured).

WHERE TO DRINKCh k t B ll i th b tli Witt d

TOP TIPS FORROTTERDAM

Check out Ballroom in the bustling Witte deWithstraat area, a gin palace that offers some 52varieties.

Top scorer on my visit was Bobby’s, a massivelycomplex Dutch gin made with Indonesianbotanicals including juniper, cloves andlemongrass.

FACTFILE

BOOK your rail journey at:www.voyages-sncf.com

GET the Rotterdam Welcome Card. Starting from 10euros, you get unlimited local travel and a handbookwith sizeable discounts at restaurants, museums andother attractions.

www.rotterdam.info

FOR more information, visit:www.holland.com