At a recent Ordre Mondial Des Gourmets Degustateurs function, members were treated to a selection of cheeses from the Dutch giant Frico. Willy Lambengco, president of Wilmington–Imex and importer of the famed Marca Piña Quezo de Bola and Frico supermarket cheeses, flew in premium cheeses from Holland for us to enjoy together with cheese expert Erik Boas who gave an informative talk on Dutch cheeses.

The evening commenced with a lavish spread and tasting of huge wheels of cheeses (I nearly did not have space for dinner). Here are some tasting notes:

• Gouda (semi-aged) - This one has light toffee and wood spices on delicate buttery notes and light tanginess on the palate.

• Maasdam - Bulge-shaped with large holes, this semi-sweet and mild cheese with the taste of unroasted or very light roasted nuts has residual fermented fruit flavors on the back notes.

• Vincent - Medium-bodied and reminiscent of light spice and fruit, it has a nice creamy finish with a pleasant saltiness. Top of the line and named after Van Gogh, it was the crowd favorite!

• Chevrette (mild) - A light tasting goat cheese, it is smooth on the palate, very delicate, and not overpowering with light spice and woody notes. It is one of my favorites. Delicious!
• Red Hot Dutch - This one has a light whiff of pimiento from its hot pepper bits. Quite delicate, I would have preferred it hotter.

• Mustard Selection - Deliciously infused with choice and fragrant mustard seeds, it is excellent with beer, sausage, and roasted meats.

• Edam (Semi-curado) – This has a pleasant salty bite with a light acid and a very dairy, creamy finish reminiscent of full cream yoghurt and sour cream.

• Marca Piña Quezo de Bola – I still prefer this to the semi-curado because it is more complex in flavor. It is meatier in taste and surprise nuances such as toffee, butter, and fruit like pineapple appear on this cheese made for the Philippine market.

I saw different personalities pairing cheeses off with their wines such as aficionados like Othmar Ober who preferred the chardonnays with the cheese and ended up with a pedigreed Chileau Cabernet. Jay Labrador on the other hand had bought a Riesling and a South of France Red while on my table. Cecile Mauricio, Fil Juntereal, and Dr. Brix Pujalte all shared a spicy Guigal Gigondas and another fruity and spicy Frattina Cabernet Franc from Northern Italy, which seemed to be the topic of half the night’s conversation on wine with cheese. Maybe, I’ll call up Big Boss Willy and ask him for another Frico tasting. I hope this time it’ll be with some Dutch Genever and with some good beers to match.