I must be on a Dutch streak because my cheese this week is another aged Gouda hailing from the Netherlands, though it’s often confused for an Italian cheese similar to Parmigiano. Roomano, not Romano, offers a delightfully sweet, butterscotchy taste like L’Amuse, but unlike last week’s cheese, this one features crystals scattered throughout the paste. Personally, I’m a big fan of crystals because I love foods with texture, so I happily crunched my way through this cow’s-milk cheese. The Roomano you’ll find will vary by age, anywhere from two years up to six.

While all Goudas are suitable for snacking, I imagine Roomano would be an excellent cheese for grating and using in an autumn gratin, like with the squash pictured above. This recipe from Allrecipes.com calls for Gruyere and Cheddar, but I think the Roomano would make a fine substitute for one or both the cheeses. Pinch My Salt also has a recipe for a butternut squash and sweet potato gratin that sounds divine (and my 2-year-son might even eat it), and swapping out the Manchego for Roomano would be an interesting variation. If you get your hands on a piece of Roomano and use it in a recipe, share it with us!