Cumin cheese is a Dutch cheese made by mixing whole cumin seeds into the curd during production. Those seeds give a warm, slightly anise-like flavor that lifts the creamy base of a young Gouda or Leiden cheese beautifully. You can taste right away why generations of Dutch people have eaten this spiced cheese on their sandwiches: it’s a classic with character, without being overpowering.
In this article you’ll learn exactly what cumin cheese is, where it comes from, how it differs from clove cheese, and how best to serve it. At the bottom you’ll find our own selection of cumin cheese to try for yourself.
What exactly is cumin cheese?
At its core, cumin cheese is a Gouda or Leiden cheese to which whole cumin seeds are added during production. After the curd is washed, the seeds are evenly mixed through the cheese mass. As the cheese ages, they slowly release their aroma into it. The result is a cheese with brown flecks and a distinctive, warm scent the moment you cut a slice.
The cheese comes in virtually every ripeness level. Young cumin cheese is creamy and mild with a fresh herbal note. With longer aging, the cheese becomes drier, saltier and more pronounced, and the cumin comes through more sharply. Fat content ranges from 20+ to 48+. The leaner varieties are popular on sandwiches, while the fuller ones have more body on a charcuterie and cheese board.
Where does cumin cheese come from?
The best-known variety is Leiden cheese, which has been made in the area around Leiden since the seventeenth century. Farmers added cumin to improve the cheese’s shelf life and to give it a spicier aroma during long storage periods. Alongside the Leiden tradition, Friesland and Noord-Holland have their own farmhouse versions of cumin cheese, often with a somewhat creamier texture.
Want to know more about how these basic aging levels work? Also read what Gouda cheese is and what mature cheese is, because those two together form the foundation from which cumin cheese is made.
Cumin cheese or clove cheese?
These two are often mixed up. The difference is in the spicing. Cumin cheese contains only cumin seeds. Clove cheese also includes whole cloves, sometimes alongside cumin. Cloves give a more intense, warm and slightly sweet flavor that pairs well with a more aged cheese. Our Kruidnagel Kaas Belegen is a great example of that variety.
What does cumin cheese taste like?
- Young cumin cheese: creamy, mild, with a fresh herbal aroma. Ideal on bread.
- Mature cumin cheese: fuller, slightly saltier, with the cumin coming through more clearly.
- Leaner varieties (20+ to 30+): less fat, drier texture, the spiced note stays nicely upfront.
- Aged cumin cheese: dry, crumbly, with crystals and a bold, warm finish.
How to serve cumin cheese
The classic way: a slice on rye bread with a dollop of sharp mustard. Simple and unbeatable. Cumin cheese also works beautifully on a charcuterie and cheese board, cut into cubes alongside a dark beer, jenever or a full-bodied red wine. For drinks, think a double dark Trappist ale or an aged jenever: the spiced notes in the drink play wonderfully with the cumin.
In the kitchen, cumin cheese melts nicely in a toasted sandwich or gratinéed on mashed potatoes. Grate a more aged cumin cheese over a kale stamppot and you have a winter classic that lacks nothing. For a lighter dish, try thin slices over a mixed salad with pear, walnut and a honey dressing.
How to store cumin cheese
Store cumin cheese in the fridge between 4 and 7 degrees Celsius, wrapped in cheese paper or lightly grease-proof damp paper. Avoid airtight plastic for extended periods, as the cheese needs to breathe. Take it out of the fridge half an hour before serving: at room temperature, all the flavors really open up. For more storage tips, read our article on storing cheese.
Want to try it yourself?
At Cheese In A Box we carry this cumin cheese, freshly cut and ready to order:
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