{"product_id":"old-farmdal","title":"Old Farmdal – Belgian Aged Gouda","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"woocommerce-tabs wc-tabs-wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"woocommerce-Tabs-panel woocommerce-Tabs-panel--tasting_notes panel entry-content wc-tab\" id=\"tab-tasting_notes\" role=\"tabpanel\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFudgy | Fruity | Crystalline\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOld Farmdal is a wonderfully distinctive aged Gouda from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKaasboerderij ’T Groendal in West Flanders, Belgium\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, made from pasteurised cow's milk and matured for around 9–12 months.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDon't let its relatively modest age fool you. Cut into Old Farmdal and you'll discover a dense yet remarkably fudgy texture, generously scattered with the crunchy \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003etyrosine crystals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e more commonly associated with cheeses that have spent considerably longer maturing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe flavour is equally interesting. There's an initial sweetness with rich, ripe stone-fruit character, followed by deeper savoury notes and a gently acidic finish reminiscent of dark chocolate. It's recognisably Gouda, but rather less sweet and caramel-heavy than many aged Dutch examples.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd then there's the small matter of it having been to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003espace\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhy is Old Farmdal known as \"Space Cheese\"?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf all the stories we've told about cheeses on our counter, Old Farmdal has one of the more unusual claims to fame.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmerican astronaut \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShannon Walker\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e became such a fan of the cheeses made by ’T Groendal that Old Farmdal was specially sent to her while she was aboard the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInternational Space Station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYes, really.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCheese travelled from a family dairy in Belgium to an astronaut orbiting hundreds of kilometres above Earth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnsurprisingly, Old Farmdal subsequently acquired the nickname \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Space Cheese\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e – although thankfully you don't need to travel quite that far to get your hands on some.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat does Old Farmdal taste like?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExpect a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003erich, fruity and savoury aged Gouda\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e with a satisfyingly dense but creamy, fudgy texture.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe flavour begins with a gentle sweetness and ripe fruit – particularly stone fruit and hints of cherry – before developing deeper savoury characteristics. A slight acidity towards the finish brings to mind dark chocolate and provides a lovely counterpoint to the cheese's richness.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen there are those crystals.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTiny crunchy tyrosine crystals are scattered throughout the paste, providing little bursts of texture and making Old Farmdal particularly satisfying to eat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHow to serve Old Farmdal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTake Old Farmdal out of the refrigerator around \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e30–60 minutes before serving\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to allow its texture to soften and its more complex flavours to emerge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt's an excellent cheeseboard cheese and needs very little accompaniment, but try it with:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFruit chutney or fig preserve\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFresh pear or apple\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDried apricots\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eToasted hazelnuts or walnuts\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGood crackers or crusty bread\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCharcuterie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt's also a cheese that's particularly good simply cut into small chunks and eaten on its own – preferably while contemplating the fact that someone once went to considerably greater lengths to get hold of it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat to drink with Old Farmdal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe richness and fruitiness of Old Farmdal gives you plenty of pairing possibilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTry it alongside a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBelgian-style beer, robust ale or darker beer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, where the malt character works particularly well with the cheese's sweetness and savoury depth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor wine, a full-bodied red can work beautifully, while \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePort or another fortified wine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a particularly good match for the fruit, nuttiness and dark-chocolate character.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCheese:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Old Farmdal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStyle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Aged Gouda\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProducer:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Kaasboerderij ’T Groendal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCountry:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Belgium\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRegion:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e West Flanders\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMilk:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Cow's milk\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMilk Treatment:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Pasteurised\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRennet:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Vegetarian\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAge:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Approximately 9–12 months\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTexture:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Dense, fudgy and crystalline\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlavour:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Fruity, savoury, gently sweet with a slightly acidic finish\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAllergen:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Contains milk\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhy we like it\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eObviously, we're cheesemongers, so telling us that a cheese has been sent into space is going to get our attention.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut a great story only gets a cheese so far.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThankfully, Old Farmdal more than lives up to its unusual backstory. We love the contrast between its relatively youthful age and the extraordinary number of crunchy crystals running through its fudgy paste. Then there's the flavour – fruity, savoury, slightly sweet and finishing with that intriguing dark-chocolate acidity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe fact that an astronaut liked it enough to have some sent to the International Space Station?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat's just a rather wonderful bonus.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou could travel a very long way to find a good cheese. In this particular case, someone did.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kaasboerderij ’t Groendal","offers":[{"title":"250g (approx)","offer_id":57376020201847,"sku":null,"price":11.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"500g (approx)","offer_id":57376020234615,"sku":null,"price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"1kg (approx)","offer_id":57376020267383,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/5870\/9434\/files\/old-farmdal-belgian-aged-gouda-kaasboerderij-t-groendal-2665670.jpg?v=1786744994","url":"https:\/\/norfolk-deli.co.uk\/products\/old-farmdal","provider":"Norfolk Deli","version":"1.0","type":"link"}