Summer & Winter Cheese?

Reader Alexandra writes:

Your post about the seasonal changes of dairy reminded me of a treat from my adoptive homeland, the Neterlands. There, we have something called graskaas (pron. hraahs-kaahs) i.e. grass cheese. It is from the time when cows first get to nibble the first shoots of grass after a long, long cold winter and also when they are suckling calves. This leads to a creamier cheese with a special flavor I’ve heard described many ways including grassy and nutty but for me it tastes the way the first few days of spring feel. That is to say still chilled and damp but GLORIOUS. One of the biggest cheesemakers in Holland, Beemster, makes this cheese but it is best from your local farmer (in a country that small, any farmer is local) is ever better because the farmers let their cows calve. As fall starts falling on us, it’s nice to think about grass cheese.

I had no idea, but it makes all the sense in the world. Thanks for the email, Alexandra!