46 culturecheesemag.com I N N OVAT I O N 202 3
reminiscent of camembert, she prefers
not to use that name too much: "We're
not in France and don't want to copy
what already exists," Köning says. "Our
cheese has its own identity, which is
very specific to our region's terroir."
From the beginning of April until
approximately the end of October, the
farm's handsome Holstein cattle graze
on lush grass that grows abundantly
on the dense, mineral-rich river clay
soils. Most of the milk is sold, but every
morning, a small quantity is piped
directly into Köning's cheesemaking
room next door to the milking parlor.
Kaasmakerij Köning now produces
eight different cheeses with the fresh,
raw milk: four lactic varieties and
four bloomy rinds. "Pasteurization
would remove the milk's flora, which
gives the cheese character," she says.
"Working with raw milk allows for a full
expression of flavor."
Choosing favorites isn't easy after
tasting Köning's cheeses. Yet the dome-
shaped Bolle—meaning 'bulbous' in
Dutch and referring to the cheese's
appearance—is deliciously surprising.
Not only is it made employing the milled-
curd method used in cheddar, but its
piquancy and bold, spicy nuances fool
your taste buds into thinking this bloomy
rind is a blue.
ITALIAN INSPIRED
It wasn't French-style curds but Italian
that inspired Rutger Pekelharing
to wave goodbye to his successful
international career in information
technology and become a cheesemaker
overnight—literally. A friend who had
been making Italian-style cheeses was
"Pasteurization would
remove the milk's flora,
which gives the cheese
character. Working with
raw milk allows for a full
expression of flavor."
Christine Köning
makes eight different
raw-milk cheeses: four
lactic varieties and
four bloomy rinds.
Rutger and Marieke Pekelharing followed
their hearts and became cheesemakers.
