Dutch Delight: Kaassoufflé
Periodically, EM reviews typical Dutch food products together with EUR international students. This edition, master student Accounting, Auditing and Control at the ESE, Vera Tolkach from Ukraine tastes and reviews Kaassoufflé. The Review
This is definitely not the first Kaassoufflé Vera is going to taste in her life. “Ukrainians do like cheese”, she disclosed me prior to our meet-up. Having studied in Prague prior to her move to Rotterdam, she has definitely expanded her horizon beyond the national borders of her motherland, yet her ‘Ukrainian preference for cheese’ sustained. Kaassoufflé is her favorite snack.
Surprisingly, Vera has never profited from the opportunity to try a Kaassoufflé at one of the cafeterias on-campus, thus far. On a windy Thursday afternoon, we meet on campus in front of H-building to have the Kaassoufflé from the cafeteria reviewed.
“I like the combo of the crispy breadcrumbs and the softness of the molten cheese”, she remarks. However, Vera moderates her judgment a little after a few more bites: “Compared to the best Kaassoufflé I have ever tasted, this one scores average.” Basically, Vera grants the Kaassoufflé 4 out of 5 stars, just because it is a Kaassoufflé – “Therefore I like it”.
Remarkably, Vera does not identify Kaassoufflé with The Netherlands in particular: “While I studied in Prague, I used to eat Czech fried cheese sometimes”. This dish is also composed of a piece of fried cheese. Another dish with cheese Vera recommends comes from the Bulgarian cuisine and is called Kashkaval Pane: a dish composed of fried cheese, which is prepared out of sheep’s milk.
Score according to Vera: 4
1= I flushed it down the toilet
2= If you bought it anyway, eat it, why not?
3= Quite nice actually
4= Really good food
5= Best food I’ve ever tasted
The product
Kaassoufflé can be considered the vegetarian alternative to Kroket or Frikandel at the local snackbar. The dish is composed of a piece of cheese, wrapped in puff pastry with breadcrumbs. In order to have the cheese molten and sizzling hot, Kaassoufflé is usually deep fried, or sometimes baked in the oven. The dish is either being consumed alone, on a bun, or with mustard or chili sauce on the side. LJa
