Prima Donna

I have a hard time figuring out what the deal is with the Prima Donna cheese. What I know is that it’s wildly popular in Denmark right now, in the red and blue varieties, and that in addition to the supermarkets, it’s frequent sold in Italian specialty stores.

Yet, the fact is that it’s Dutch. Most people think it’s Italian, but it’s not. It’s a brilliant marketing move, though. The name and the texture clearly signals Italy.

Not that the dutch can’t make cheeses, they make some great Goudas if you happen to get then in Holland. But abroad, Holland isn’t exactly associated with great cheese.

I was just talking to my business partner, Christina’s mother-in-law, who is Dutch, and she has never heard of the Prima Donna cheese, which makes it even more plausible that it’s a cheese designed for export to people who can’t tell the difference. Smart people!