Netherlands · Fermentation craft; Dairy craft; South Holland heritage
Goudse Kaas — Boerenkaas Traditie
The Gouda cheese making tradition — the production of the world's most widely consumed cheese style, whose authentic Dutch farmhouse version (Boerenkaas — farmer's cheese) is made from raw whole milk on the farm of origin, quite distinct from the industrial Gouda produced in factories. The Gouda boer reads the correct curd readiness for molding through a press-and-check assessment of the curd grain after washing — reading the specific firm-yet-yielding character that indicates the washing process has correctly reduced the lactose content for the characteristic mild Gouda flavor development.
Risk level: Stable · Not listed; Goudse Boerenkaas on the Dutch national heritage inventory; PDO Boerenkaas
The Delftware tradition — the making of the blue and white tin-glazed earthenware that has been the defining Dutch decorative craft since the 17th century, when Delft potters adapted Chinese Ming porcelain aesthetics to the European…
The stroopwafel making tradition of Gouda — the thin caramel-syrup-filled wafer cookie invented in Gouda in the early 19th century by baker Gerard Kamphuisen, whose specific wafer texture (thin, slightly crisp, yielding to a slight chew…
The Zeeland needle lace tradition of the southwestern Dutch province — a distinctive needle lace tradition associated with the Zeeland klederdracht (folk costume), particularly the elaborate lace caps (mutsen) that are the defining element…
The Edam cheese making tradition — the distinctive round ball-shaped Dutch cheese with its characteristic red wax coating (for export) whose form is as internationally recognisable as Gouda but whose production process is distinctly…
The Leerdam studio glass tradition — the making of unique handblown art glass objects (Unica) at the Royal Leerdam Glassworks in South Holland, where the Dutch glass artist A.D.
The Dutch faience tile making tradition — the production of the hand-painted tin-glazed earthenware tiles that lined Dutch kitchens, hearths, and stairways from the 17th century and became one of the most widely exported Dutch decorative…
The distillation of anise spirit from green anise seeds (Pimpinella anisum) in the town of Chinchón — 45km south of Madrid — whose anise production has been continuous since the 15th century.
The hand-kneading, rolling and sun-drying of fragrant wood-powder paste onto bamboo rod cores to make joss sticks.
The making of barbagiuan — Monaco's national dish, a hand-folded, deep-fried savory pastry filled with Swiss chard and ricotta cheese — closing a complete absence of craft documentation for Monaco in the CRAFT archive following the removal…
The harvesting and steam-distillation of leaves and twigs from the West Indian bay tree (Pimenta racemosa, locally 'Bwa-Den') into bay oil, a signature Dominican agro-heritage product used since the 19th century in perfumery, most famously…
The Greek olive oil production tradition — Greece produces the highest percentage of extra virgin olive oil of any country in the world, with the Kalamata PDO region of the Peloponnese producing the most internationally recognized Greek…
Bolivia's national spirit, a clear grape brandy distilled exclusively from Muscat of Alexandria grapes grown at exceptional altitude (1,600–2,200 meters) in the valleys of Tarija, Chuquisaca, La Paz, and Potosí.