The makers of Aged Artisan Cheese work closely together with Slow Food Netherlands. Slow Food is a worldwide food movement, that is committed to a good, clean and fair food system. Slow Food involves people from the entire food chain, form producer to consumer. Together they are committed to a future-proof food system in which everyone has access to good, clean and fair food.
Slow Food founded the Ark of Taste in 1996. The Ark of Taste is an international catalogue listing endangered culinary heritage, with the aim of creating a healthy future for the culinary heritage by stimulating its productions and consumption. Since its foundation, more than 5000 products from 150 countries have been included in the Ark of Taste. The Boeren Goudse Oplegkaas (Aged Artisan Gouda) is also part of the Ark of Taste, as do some other special cheeses from Dutch soil, such as Boeren Edammer, Boeren Leyden Traditional and Texel Sheep cheese.
The Slow Food Presidium Boeren Goudse Oplegkaas was established in 2005. In this presidium the farmers work together on a healthy future for the artisan Boeren Goudse Oplegkaas from the Ark of Taste. Nowadays, the term artisan is often used lightly. But not by these farmers. What they mean by artisan is described in the protocol Boeren Goudse Oplegkaas.
The protocol includes the following conditions. Aged Artisan Gouda is made from raw summer milk from cows that are out in the meadows day and night. The cheese is made in the Groene Hart according to the traditional recipe and production method and is given at least 18 months to mature.
