THIS MONTH'S CHEESE IS:

LEYDEN

Leyden (LIE-den or LAY-den) was named after the Dutch city of Leiden. It can and is also called Leidsekaas. It is made of both pasteurized cow's milk and has an inedible, natural rind. It is made by heating the milk to 84-86°F, and then curdling with liquid rennet. It is then cut into small pieces and heated to 95-98°F. The spices are then added and the cheese is drained of the remaining whey and then cured. Tastes good on ham, crackers, bread, baked onions, or baked stuffed tomatoes. For a more interesting use, try grated Leyden to accompany a bowl of soup or chilli.

Here's some more on Leyden cheese:

Availability: Good for young cheese; Rare for aged.
Form: Thick, waxed wheels.
Dimensions: 6 inches thick, 16-18 inches in diameter.
Weight: 16 lbs. on average(About 8k).
Fat Content: 40%
Characteristics: Very firm; Young -- light-yellow interior; Aged -- creamy, brown-orange interior. Gouda-like but spicy; flavoured with caraway and/or cumin seeds; spicy aroma
Related Cheeses: All other Dutch cheeses
Wine Partners: Spicy reds such as Zinfandel; beer

Never commit youself to a
cheese without having
fist examined it.
T.S.Eliot

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I must give credit to Steve Jenkins, whose "Cheese Primer" was the source of much of my information.