Gouda pittig: Loves me a like a rock

pittig (Wiktionary definition)

  1. (taste) piquant, spicy
  2. (person) energetic and having a strong character
  3. serious and difficult
  4. pithy, terse

Take it from me, when your job is to sample and sell gouda pittig, all of the above definitions apply.


This incredibly flavorful, four-year-aged, Dutch cheese reminds me of a Minnesota lake in the dead of winter, six feet deep, hard as a rock yet cracked and pocked as though someone took a tiny mallet to its surface.

And straight out of a cooler, it is the very devil to cut.

You don’t slice a pittig sample as much as you shave off some crumbly bits that burst with sharp, rich flavors. I’m told one of our cheese shop customers runs a grater over it and uses the powder as a seasoning.

So what’s the big deal about pittig? Aside from its unique look and taste, this cheese is naturally lactose-free. The aging process converts lactose into lactic acid. The longer a cheese is aged, the less lactose it contains.

And this butterscotch baby has been sitting on a shelf for four long years. There’s literally no lactose left to bother you.

One word of warning: Aged cheeses are typically more expensive than younger ones. But the rich flavor means you’ll need less to satisfy your “cheese tooth.”

About the cheese: Dutch cheesemakers use pasteurized cow’s milk to create gouda pittig. You’ll notice a bit of a crunch, a complex, caramel and/or butterscotch flavor, and a bold finish. And do yourself a favor: Let the pittig warm up to room temperature before putting a knife to it.

Related: You’re probably pronouncing “gouda” wrong.