{"id":7286,"date":"2025-02-26T20:08:42","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T01:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=7286"},"modified":"2025-06-08T22:09:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T02:09:30","slug":"artikaas-smoked-gouda-cheese-costco-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2025\/02\/26\/artikaas-smoked-gouda-cheese-costco-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Artikaas Smoked Gouda Cheese (Costco) Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Author’s Note: Not a paid or sponsored review. I have no affiliation with Artikaas<\/a> or Costco<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t argue with the Dutch cows.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This cheese is my friend. You can be my friend, too. But the cheese has first dibs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I bought this chonky block of Artikaas Youngsters Hickory Smoked Gouda from Costco on a whim. I’m really glad I did \u2014 this is excellent cheese, and so far it has made everything I’ve paired it with taste better. Except for my bitter thoughts \u2014<\/em> nothing can make those<\/em> taste better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fingers<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you read my previous review of Aldi’s Double Smoked Cheddar<\/a>, you know I adore any<\/em> type of smoked food. Literally, anything. The smokier, the better. I would probably eat my own shoelaces, if they were smoked. This Artikaas Smoked Gouda has a strong smoked taste, with less brashness. Less impudence. It tastes more like “smokey bacon” than “forest fire.” It’s a rich, pervasive (but not overwhelming) experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I like how the assertive flavor permeates the entire<\/em> block of cheese, not just the outer rind. In fact, the smoggy taste is so rich, it shines through all the other ingredients on a thick turkey sandwich, like this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Do you love flavored cheese? Perhaps you would enjoy this Banana Pepper Jack from Meister Cheese<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fingers<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The gouda texture is soft. Not quite “spreadable” soft. But, exceedingly flexible. Like a seasoned yoga instructor. This cheese is creamy-smooth, and has a rich buttery flavor. It gets a bit firmer towards the rind, although not as firm as sharp cheddar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(If you’re looking for a much firmer gouda, check out my review of this Artikaas Holy Sheep Gouda<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of the rind, this cheese has a natural rind, rather than an added waxed or plastic coating. The rind is thin and flexible enough to eat, so I didn’t remove it from my slices. I love that this is a wedge from a natural wheel of cheese, rather than an expressionless, generic rectangle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fingers<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There’s a nifty caramel-colored smoked pattern on top. It looks like a rhythmic pattern from netting wrapped around the wheel. I am unsure if this is from the natural smoking process, or from added <\/em>coloring listed in the ingredients. More about the ingredients later.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Artikaas Cheese<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’ve tried another variety of Artikaas cheese before \u2014 the Baby Swiss, which I liked (you can see pictures of it on a sandwich<\/a> in this review of Costco’s Oven Browned Turkey Breast). However, this Gouda is five millions times better<\/em> than the Swiss. From looking over the Artikaas website<\/a>, Gouda appears to be the Artikaas specialty. In fact, they’ve been making “Original Dutch Gouda” for more than six generations. They attribute some of the success of their cheese to the “Dutch grass and Dutch cows.” I mean, who am I to argue with Dutch cows?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More varieties of Artikaas Dutch Cheese<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some of the other cheese varieties<\/a> available on the Artikaas website include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n