Leerdammer () is a Dutch semihard
cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
made from
cow
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
's
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
. It has an ageing time around 3–12 months. It has a creamy white texture and was made to be similar in appearance and flavor to
Emmental
The Emmental (, ) is a valley in west-central Switzerland, forming part of the canton of Bern. It is a hilly landscape comprising the basins of the rivers Emme and Ilfis. The region is mostly devoted to farming, particularly dairy farming. The ...
. Its sweet and somewhat nutty flavour becomes more pronounced with age. It also has distinct holes.
Advertisement campaigns have used the slogan "De lekkerste kaas tussen de gaten" (''"the taste is around the holes"'').
The cheese is produced exclusively by the
Bel Group. The Leerdammer name is a trademark of Bel Leerdammer B.V. On 22 March 2021, Bel Group announced it was handing over the brand and its related assets to
Lactalis
Groupe Lactalis S.A. (doing business as Lactalis) is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier S.A.
Lactalis is the largest dairy pr ...
in exchange for the shares Lactalis held in Bel Group, bar a retained 0.9% stake.
Leerdammer cheese is produced in
Schoonrewoerd in the municipality of
Leerdam
Leerdam () is a city and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht.
The municipality was merged with the municipalities of Vianen and Zederik on 1 January 2019. The name of the new municipalit ...
, the city which gave Leerdammer its name. Generic Leerdammer-style cheese is sold as
Maasdam cheese. Groupe Bel has a second factory producing Leerdammer in
Dalfsen, in the eastern province of
Overijssel
Overijssel (; ; ; ) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name comes from the perspective of the Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht, Episcopal principality of Utrecht ...
. It is also produced in France.
[ ]
The cheese was developed by Cees Boterkooper, who had owned a small dairy in Schoonrewoerd since 1914, and Bastiaan Baars, who ran a cheese shop in a nearby village. The two met in 1970, and soon afterwards decided to collaborate. They worked on a cheese that could compete with
Gouda and
Edam. Leerdammer was launched in 1977.
Bel Group
Company website. Retrieved 2009-04-11
It is also available in supermarkets throughout Europe, Russia, and the US.
See also
* Jarlsberg cheese
* 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
External links
Dutch Leerdammer Site
itscheese.com Leerdammer page
{{Dutch cheeses
Dutch cheeses
Cow's-milk cheeses
Cheese with eyes