Passendale cheese, named for
Passendale
Passendale () or Passchendaele (; obsolete spelling, retained in English; vls, Passchendoale) is a rural Belgian village in the Zonnebeke municipality of West Flanders province. It is close to the town of Ypres, situated on the hill ridge sepa ...
, the village where it originated, is one of the best-known cheeses of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. Regular Passendale cheese is produced in two versions, Classic and Prelude. There is also a premium version, Passendale Bel Age.
Passendale Cheese resembles a loaf of bread, with a round shape, and a hard but edible brown rind with spots of white. Inside, the flesh is golden, dotted with small holes and very creamy. It has a firm and damp consistency, slightly sweet bouquet and mild flavor.
History
The Donck family of Passendale started producing cheeses in 1932 with the cooperation of many of the area's milk producers. After World War II, the family began producing milk, butter and yoghurt as well, and eventually relocated their business to a former brewery. In 1978, they launched "de Groot Hof–Grand’Ferme", a cheese inspired by local tradition. In 1980, it was renamed Passendale for export purposes. In 1991 the Comelco group, owner of the company making Passendale, was bought by the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
Campina company. The Bongrain group, which bought the company in 2007, has become the second-largest Belgian cheese producer.
Types of Passendale
Classic and Prelude
At the end of the ripening process, the rind of the Passendale Classic is brushed before it is packaged.
Passendale Bel Age
This special version of the cheese ripens for 6 months in the cellars of Cheesemaker Passendale, and has a more distinguished taste.
See also
*
List of cheeses
This is a list of cheeses by place of origin. Cheese is a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors dep ...
References
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Zonnebeke
Belgian cheeses
Cow's-milk cheeses