Looking, smelling and tasting cheeses is what 36-year-old Rosanne from Alkmaar does best in the Netherlands. At the Dutch National Cheese Inspection Competition he won the coveted main prize, the Golden Cheese Drill. The win was a big surprise and in March Rosanne even flew to Wisconsin to take a seat on a jury of cheese judges.
Rosanne was given 10 different sticks of cheese, cheese drills, and had to figure out what kind of cheese it was. Young, old, seasoned or maybe even rejected? “The Golden Cheese Drill is the largest prize awarded to a cheese connoisseur in the Netherlands,” says Rosanne. About 700 people participated this year and anyone who considers themselves a cheese connoisseur can register.
“As an inspector, you don’t know what kind of cheese it is and you have to smell, feel the texture and taste it to find out what kind of cheese it is,” the winner explains. “You also have to try to judge the cheese. The one closest to the truth wins the Golden Cheese Drill.” And that was Rosanne. Her tactic was to smell the cheese first and save the strongest for last. To get a neutral taste in her mouth again, she had water and a cracker.
She knows a lot about cheese and has to deal with it every day at work. Rosanne works at a large cheese company in Westbeemster and, in addition to her other duties, inspects the cheese every two weeks. There are always several types of cheese in the refrigerator at home, but Rosanne really didn’t expect her to win. “In my experience, the Golden Cheese Drill is a prize that is reserved for the truly experienced and typical cheese connoisseurs who have been in the trade for years. An unattainable prize and yet I have it,” she says laughing. “I can recognize and express flavors well.”
Text continues below the photo
Rosanne was born and raised in Alkmaar and has always loved cheese. “As a child, my parents always bought the young cheese from my current employer,” says the cheese connoisseur. That is still her favorite because of the fresh, creamy taste. “When I was younger I didn’t like older cheeses very much, but at work I learned to appreciate that. Cheese fresh from the knife is the tastiest.”
“I also really like cheese and eat it a lot at home.” The cheese connoisseur is trained as a dietitian and finds cheese not only tasty, but also very healthy. “We put cheese on bread, in salads, or in cubes with drinks or a nice bit of old cheese grated over pasta.”
Whoever wins the Golden Cheese Drill can take a seat on the jury of the International Cheese & Dairy Awards in Wisconsin, USA. The Alkmaar resident is going there in March. “I’ve never been to America before and I’m really looking forward to it.” There’s just one little thing. Rosanne actually doesn’t like French blue cheeses and they also participate more in the world cheese championships. Fortunately, she still has some time to learn to eat them.