View source for Boeren-Leidse met sleutels

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|title=Boeren-Leidse met sleutels: Cooking Wiki
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|description=Boeren-Leidse met sleutels is a semi-hard BOB (Beschermde Oorsprongsbenaming) farm cheese with a fat content in the dry matter of at least
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[[Image:Boeren-Leidse met sleutels.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Boeren-Leidse met sleutels]] 

Boeren-Leidse met sleutels is a semi-hard [[BOB]] (Beschermde Oorsprongsbenaming) farm [[cheese]] with a fat content in the dry matter of at least 30% and at most 40%, robust to hard, sliceable and, with age, suitable for grating, prepared from semi-skimmed [[milk]] which has not undergone any pasteurization heat treatment and to which [[cumin]] must be added during preparation. The preparation and conditioning of this specific [[cheese]] requires much work, attention and specialist knowledge.

*Geographical area:

Production of Boeren-Leidse met sleutels originated in the river basin of the Oude Rijn in the province Zuid-Holland, in the area surrounding the town of Leiden, after which the [[cheese]] was first named some three hundred years ago.  The production area, where it has been produced in the traditional way for many years, includes:

-the polder district (hoogheemraadschap) of Rijnland

-the polder district of Amstel en Vecht

-the polder district of Delfland

-the polder district of Schieland

-the greater water board district of Woerden

-the water board district of Leidse Rijn

-the rural district of Westerkoggenland, the Beschoot polder

-the rural district of Giessenlande, the polder of Over- en Neder Slingeland

-the rural district of Udenhout

The area covers some 215,000 hectares in total.

*History

The Vereniging van Boeren-Leidse Kaasmakers was founded on 28 October 1927 with the objective of promoting the interests of the Boeren-Leidse [[cheese]] makers. It endeavours to achieve this objective by all legitimate means, including by representing its members at all levels, allowing its members to make use of a registered trade mark for Boeren-Leidse met sleutels, with a view to promoting the sale of their product and regulating the production of the [[cheese]].

The history of the [[cheese]] goes back much further. Referring to page 36 of the "Handbuch der Käse" by Dr Heinrich Mair-Waldburg, the following is already stated concerning Dutch [[cheese]]:

"A region which was considered to be particularly good for the dairy industry is the present Netherlands and Belgium. Here there were large pasture lands, particularly along the North Sea, and [[milk]] production rapidly became very significant. As early as 1184, [[cheese]] was sent from Holland to Paris, and in the following centuries Dutch [[cheese]] became an international product. It was named after specific market places, eg near Leiden, Leiden [[cheese]] was made; it was characterised by the coat of arms of Leiden, two crossed keys. It is plausible to see in it the origin of the Norwegian Nokkelost (key [[cheese]])".

On account of the favourable location of the production area in relation to the major trading and export centres of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, this type of [[cheese]] developed on a large scale and became renowned. As a partially skimmed type of [[cheese]], it was extremely well-suited to long-term storage and was much used as a non-perishable source of protein in ships' provisions and as an export.  Because this artisan-produced [[cheese]] was traded from the 17th- 18th century in Leiden, production has traditionally been concentrated around that town.

Over the centuries Boeren-Leidse met sleutels has become a unique traditional [[cheese]]. Its uniqueness is partly due to the specific characteristics of the [[milk]]. Because of the soil conditions and climate, Zuid-Holland has always been ideally suited to dairy farming (polder land). History, man and cattle breeds have all contributed to the specific tradition of this [[cheese]]. The [[cheese]] is a labour-intensive product prepared in relatively small quantities on farms from their own [[milk]] production. The technique for making this [[cheese]] has developed over the centuries but it still requires a great deal of work and attention from the maker, including intense manipulation of the [[curd]]. The specialist techniques for preparation and conditioning of this "king of [[cheese]]s" has been passed down from generation to generation, often on the same farm. The exclusive character of this [[cheese]] and its accordingly higher price make it possible for the relatively traditional (in Dutch terms) livestock farms to continue their dairy production.

*Production

Farm [[cheese]] must be made using [[milk]] from not more than two successive [[milk]]ings. Any quantities of [[milk]] not used straight away must be cooled to not more than 10°C immediately after [[milk]]ing. The [[milk]] is coagulated with [[rennet]] for half an hour at a temperature of 29-30°. Once the [[milk]] has been sufficiently coagulated, the [[curd]] is chopped into pieces of about 1.5cm. This process takes about 15-20 minutes. After being left for a short time to settle, the [[curds]] and [[whey]] mixture is heated using hot water and left to ripen further. A small amount of the [[curd]] is set aside for the so called "witte bodems" (literally: white bottoms) which prevent the [[cumin]] seeds from collecting in the rind on the smooth sides of the [[cheese]]. The rest of the [[curd]] is mixed with [[cumin]] seed, at a ratio of about 75g of seed per 100 litres of [[milk]].  

Pressing is carried out in two stages. During the second stage each [[cheese]] is indelibly stamped with the imprint of two crossed keys circled by the words "Boeren-Leidse-met-sleutels". Next the [[cheese]] is placed in [[brine]] at a strength of 20% for five or six days. The rind of the "Boeren-Leidse met sleutels" is coloured red using [[annatto]] and/or treated with a red/red-brown coloured [[cheese]] rind treatment product. [[cheese]]s weighing three kilograms or more are kept for at least 13 days at a temperature óf at least 12°.

Reference:  '''[http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/registeredName.html?denominationId=140 The European Commission]'''

{{CategoryLineIngredients}}
[[Category:Ingredients]]
[[Category:Dairy products]]
[[Category:cheeses]]
[[Category:Dutch cheeses]]
[[Category:Cows' milk cheeses]]
[[Category:PDO-PGI-TSG ingredients]]

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