Coolea is a type of
cow
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
's
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...
cheese that consists of a smooth,
Gouda-like texture with rich, sweet, caramelly flavours. Like Gouda, Coolea cheese is covered in a thick, solid
wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to giv ...
rind which contributes to the cheese's flavour and texture.
Since the late 1970s, Coolea has been made from an old Dutch Gouda recipe by the Willems family in the
Coolea area of
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...
in Ireland. It has won a number of awards both nationally and internationally.
References
Irish cheeses
Cow's-milk cheeses
{{Cheese-stub