Cheese Of The Decade

WHAT?! EDAM ON TOAST?!

I have always said that Edam is no good on toast, as it goes all plasticy, but I have found a way to make Edam On Toast possible. I came across this discovery last week when I was faced with the prospect of not finishing off my Kwik Save Edam before it went out of date. I went about making Cheddar on Toast in the usual way, and placed a thin slice of Edam on each piece of toast (after the Cheddar had been laid down, but not yet toasted).

The result is nothing short of miraculous, the Edam must react with the Cheddar somehow, stopping the Edam from going plasticy. Note: I have only tried this with thin slices of Edam, you may not have as much success with thicker slices. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

So there you have it, Edam On Toast is possible, but only if used in conjuction with a propper "Base" cheese.

Hello, and welcome to a new, regular feature of The Cheese Section, called Cheese Of The Decade. Once every ten years I will pick out a different cheese to review and put it though it's paces on this page. The cheese I pick my not necessarily be the best cheese, just one that I haven't reviewed before. If you like the page and would like to suggest which cheeses to use next time, or even send in your own results and statistics for a particular cheese, please feel free to email me at alex@alexsheldon.co.uk.

OK, so straight out of my cheese box is my old favourite, Dutch Edam. Here is the frontal scan:

This particular sample is from the off-license in Penmaenmawr, which has a small selection of cheeses as well as cider, special brew and fags etc.

Dutch Edam, as you all damn well know comes either in a ball shape, or as a slice of a ball shape, with a red wax skin. It has a mild favour and is firm to the bite, getting harder towards the outside.

Statistically, this pack of cheese is 200g in weight, but I have seen Dutch Edam sold in many different weights over the years. Unfortunately it is rare to be able to pick up a 500g pack from Kwik Save, unless you visit a Kwik Save mega store or something.

Which leads nicely onto my next cheese sample which is from Kwik Save in Bangor, where I got twice as much cheese for my money. For £10.32 I could buy 8 cheese sections and make a whole cheese ball. Obviously it's not as good as getting a whole cheese ball straight from Amsterdam, but it will do if you're experiencing a spontaneous cheese frenzy.

All in all, a great cheese, but I am often told by my friends that it is a boring and plain cheese. Agreed, it is mild, but it has a delicate flavour and a quirky shape. It will feature regularly in my cheese box for years to come.

Next decade: Cheddar.