Kaasschaaf? I hear you ask. Yes! Kaasschaaf! If you would translate it literally you'd end up with something like '
cheeseplane'. And although that sounds like an aeroplane built from cheese, what I meant with plane is the
woodworking tool.
Because unlike a 'cheesegrater' which creates thin hair-like strips of cheese that you would normally put over your maccaroni, a kaasschaaf creates nice even-width slices of cheese that you can put on your bread. (Or on your head, if you feel like doing something eccentric).
It came to my notice that this fabulous device (supposedly invented in Norway) is not that well-known in other countries but The Netherlands, and it's a shame, because if you show the true power of the kaasschaaf to an unknowing human he or she will most probably go: "Ooooooh that is like SO cool!!" and they will want one to take back home. As the matter of fact, I have 'exported' about 5 kaasschaven to England already...
So now you too know what a kaasschaaf is. And most probably you would want one, wouldn't you?
Take care though, because there's a lot of quality-difference between the different brands of kaasschaven on the planet. It's not just a piece of plastic and a metal plane to cut the cheese you know, there's precision involved here!!
Word has it they DO sell these things outside of europe, and people call it 'Cheese slicer'.