A Transatlantic Fusion: Discovering Beemster's Smoked Hatch Pepper Gouda
JULY 18, 2025
If you're a cheese lover in Pagosa Springs or just visiting our mountain town, there's a unique cheese that embodies a fascinating blend of cultures and flavors you should seek out: Beemster Smoked Hatch Pepper Gouda. This cheese is the delightful result of an artistic marriage between the traditional Dutch mastery of cheese-making and the fiery zest of New Mexico’s Hatch Valley chiles. Available at Murray's Cheese inside the City Market grocery store, it’s a local treasure with a truly global story.
The story begins in the Netherlands, in the Beemster Polder — a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its extraordinarily fertile land reclaimed from the sea in the early 1600s. This mineral-rich soil nurtures grass that feeds the cows producing milk celebrated for its unique creamy sweetness. The cooperative behind Beemster cheese, CONO KAASMAKERS, formed by local family farms over a century ago, embraces sustainability and artisanal craftsmanship. Their cheeses are hand-stirred, aged naturally on wooden planks, and backed by a royal warrant, a seal of supreme quality.
Beemster Smoked Hatch Pepper Gouda starts as a young, mild Gouda—aged just over a month—whose creamy, semi-soft texture makes an ideal canvas for bold flavors. The magic happens when certified Hatch chile peppers from New Mexico, renowned for their distinctive heat and flavor, are infused into the curds. Then, in a transatlantic twist, the cheese wheels travel to the US where they're naturally cold-smoked over hickory wood. This final smoky kiss imparts a campfire aroma and a mild to medium heat that harmonizes perfectly with the nutty Gouda base.
The cheese offers a complex sensory journey: at room temperature, you’ll experience an elegant layering from smoky notes to creamy richness and a peppery finish. When melted, like in a grilled cheese or mac and cheese, its smokiness intensifies, making it a standout star in comfort dishes with a Southwestern twist—think fajitas or chili dogs. This versatility makes it a memorable ingredient in your cooking arsenal.
Planning a cheese board? Pair it with robust cured meats like bresaola or dry coppa and balance its richness with crisp green apples, roasted tomatoes, or tangy pickles. For drinks, try an American Pale Ale or a dry Riesling to complement the cheese’s smoky warmth.
Beemster’s strategy to produce this cheese as a seasonal specialty with limited availability has cultivated a devoted following—fans eagerly await its arrival each summer like a festive event. Here in Pagosa Springs, you can find it at Murray’s Cheese inside City Market, perfect for adding a smoky, spicy kick to your next culinary adventure.
In short, Beemster Smoked Hatch Pepper Gouda is a delicious testament to how treasured traditions and local innovations can coexist to create something truly special. Whether you're enjoying its rich, smoky flavors on a cheese board by the fire in one of Pagosa Springs’ cozy homes or melting it into a hearty meal after a day on the slopes, this cheese connects two continents and countless generations of cheese-making mastery in every bite.
The story begins in the Netherlands, in the Beemster Polder — a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its extraordinarily fertile land reclaimed from the sea in the early 1600s. This mineral-rich soil nurtures grass that feeds the cows producing milk celebrated for its unique creamy sweetness. The cooperative behind Beemster cheese, CONO KAASMAKERS, formed by local family farms over a century ago, embraces sustainability and artisanal craftsmanship. Their cheeses are hand-stirred, aged naturally on wooden planks, and backed by a royal warrant, a seal of supreme quality.
Beemster Smoked Hatch Pepper Gouda starts as a young, mild Gouda—aged just over a month—whose creamy, semi-soft texture makes an ideal canvas for bold flavors. The magic happens when certified Hatch chile peppers from New Mexico, renowned for their distinctive heat and flavor, are infused into the curds. Then, in a transatlantic twist, the cheese wheels travel to the US where they're naturally cold-smoked over hickory wood. This final smoky kiss imparts a campfire aroma and a mild to medium heat that harmonizes perfectly with the nutty Gouda base.
The cheese offers a complex sensory journey: at room temperature, you’ll experience an elegant layering from smoky notes to creamy richness and a peppery finish. When melted, like in a grilled cheese or mac and cheese, its smokiness intensifies, making it a standout star in comfort dishes with a Southwestern twist—think fajitas or chili dogs. This versatility makes it a memorable ingredient in your cooking arsenal.
Planning a cheese board? Pair it with robust cured meats like bresaola or dry coppa and balance its richness with crisp green apples, roasted tomatoes, or tangy pickles. For drinks, try an American Pale Ale or a dry Riesling to complement the cheese’s smoky warmth.
Beemster’s strategy to produce this cheese as a seasonal specialty with limited availability has cultivated a devoted following—fans eagerly await its arrival each summer like a festive event. Here in Pagosa Springs, you can find it at Murray’s Cheese inside City Market, perfect for adding a smoky, spicy kick to your next culinary adventure.
In short, Beemster Smoked Hatch Pepper Gouda is a delicious testament to how treasured traditions and local innovations can coexist to create something truly special. Whether you're enjoying its rich, smoky flavors on a cheese board by the fire in one of Pagosa Springs’ cozy homes or melting it into a hearty meal after a day on the slopes, this cheese connects two continents and countless generations of cheese-making mastery in every bite.
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