Belgium 2022 - Regional Cheeses

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 24 January 2022
Designer: Leen Depooter

Printer: Stamps Production Belgium
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours
Layout: Leen Depooter
Value of postage stamps: 1 EUROPE
Leaflet Price: €10.45
Format of postage stamps: a-b-e: 40mm x 30mm; c-d: 30mm x 40mm
Sheet Size: 186mm x 152mm
Sheet composition: 5 Postage Stamps
Circulation: 43,704 sheets
Paper: FSC White Gummed
Serration: 11½
Printing Process: Offset
Printing: Bpost Philately & Stamps Printing

Theme:

Belgium can be proud of a wealthy culinary heritage. We have many cheeses that deserve to be in an assortment cheesemaker. In this show, we will discuss the richness of Belgian cheeses.

 Postage stamps: 

a. Jersey Milk Cheese - Blue-Veined Cheese

b. Gouda - Beer Cheese

c. Soft-Paste Cheese - Brussels Cheese 

d. Herve Cheese - Goat Cheese 

e. Trappist Cheese - Abbey Cheese 

Sheet: 

The sheet shows the map of Belgium, divided into regions where the different types appear of cheeses, with stylized drawings of cheeses and a cheese knife. The sheet has a cut out special shaped cheese slice with holes.

About Regional Cheeses
The sheetlet shows the map of Belgium, divided into regoins where certain types of cheeses occur, with stylized drawings of cheeses and a cheese knife. The sheetlet was also given a special shape, in the form of a slice of cheese with holes.

With more than 300 official cheeses, Belgium is a real cheese country. According to the master cheesemaker Ann Keymeulen, there would even be more than 1,000. For this collection, Ann and bpost have selected ten delicious typical Belgian cheeses, real ambassadors of the region where they are made.

Proud of Our Cheeses

National treats, When bpost asked him to select some Belgian cheeses for a show of stamps, Ann Keymeulen immediately appeared very enthusiastic. It's already been many years that it has been promoting cheeses Belgians with passion. “Belgians do not surrender not enough account of the treats we have with us."

Either way, Ann knows what she's talking about. She's a master cheese maker, lectures on cheese and provides training for become a master cheesemaker. “During training as a master cheese maker, I give courses on European cheeses," she says. " But I don't hide my passion for cheese Belgians. People are often flabbergasted when I tell them that they live in the region of an exceptional cheese maker. As I find it very regrettable, my mission consists in putting these artisan cheesemakers to honor. Our little country has so many, and it's really unbelievable.

Ten Typical Cheeses

As it is impossible to fit a thousand cheeses on a sheet of stamps, Ann had the difficult task to select ten. Moreover, she had to take into account the creation of the graphic designer Leen Depooter. Leen: “Pretty quickly, we decided to use a map of the Belgium where I arranged the cheeses according to of their origin or the place where they are more common. This shows which cheese is the most typical of his region. » Armed with this information, Ann did not have great difficulty in making his selection. Ann: “For each region, we looked for visually recognizable cheeses and belonging to our cheese heritage. He it often happens that we are inspired by the cheeses of neighboring countries to manufacture it. However, some cheeses are inscribed in our genes, like Trappist or abbey cheeses.

Cheese With Holes

Leen photographed all the cheeses herself choose. “I especially wanted every detail to be clearly visible. This allows collectors to stamps to become absorbed in their contemplation and discover things. The cutting of a slice of cheese with holes gives a additional touch of originality to the sheet. The sheet is also perforated. You have to do very be careful to make a nice cut of these round holes.