Gouda, or "How-da" as the locals say, is a Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. If truth be told, it is one of the most popular cheeses in the world, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of the world's cheese consumption. It is a semi-hard cheese celebrated for its rich, unique flavour and smooth texture. The original cheese markets in Gouda is one of the last standing commercial cheese markets in the Netherlands. Since the name is not protected, it has become a generic classification for all cheeses produced and sold under the name Gouda.
Gouda is typically made from pasteurised cow’s milk although some artisan varieties use sheep’s or goat’s milk to produce cheeses that are going to be aged for a long time. Boerenkaas is a typical variety of unpasteurised Gouda cheese produced by the farmers from milk of cow's grazing on the natural, low pastures of Netherlands. There are seven different types of Gouda cheese, categorized depending on age. Graskaas is young Gouda ready to be consumed within weeks of production. On the other hand, is the extra aged, Overjarig cheese which has a full-flavoured, hard, golden interior and salty flavour reminiscent of a toffee. Between the spectrums is a variety of Dutch Gouda’s classified as per the texture and age - Jong, Jong belegen, Belegen, Extra belegen, and Oud. Each cheese gets increasingly firmer in texture and richer in flavour than earlier classification. The waxed rind of the cheese also changes by the age as soft, younger Dutch Gouda cheese are identified by yellow, orange, or red wax rinds white mature cheese have black wax coverings.
Stacked Gouda WheelsIn America, smoother and less flavourful commercial Gouda is popular than Dutch Gouda. Artisans in Netherlands may produce Dutch Gouda using raw milk as well as pasteurised.  To enhance the flavour of the cheese, herbs, seasonings, and nuts may be blended. In Netherlands, aged Gouda is commonly used to richen soups, sauces.
Young Goudas are best paired with beer while medium cheeses taste best when paired with a fruity Riesling or Chenin Blanc. A well aged Gouda complements wines that are deeply flavoured such as a rich Merlot or Shiraz. Gouda cheese may be grated, sliced, cubed or melted. It may be used as a table cheese or dessert cheese.
Gouda is available in large wheels with each weighing between 10 and 25 pounds.

Gouda

FrieslandCampina

The Edam cheese was first produced in Netherlands after the town in which is made. The Edam has a pale yellow interior and a crust of red paraffin wax. Its flavour is mild, salty and nutty at the early stage and gets sharper with ageing. Also, it is comparatively low in fat content as compared to other cheeses and has 28% fat in dry matter. The Edam cheese at early stage goes very well with fruits like peaches, apricots, cherries, melons, while the aged Edam cheese is often consumed with pears and apples. Besides this, it is also eaten along with crackers, biscuits and drinks like Pinot Gris, Dry Riesling, Semidry Riesling, Champagne, Chardonnay and Shiraz.

Edam

Maasdam is a traditional, semi-hard Dutch cheese made from cow’s milk. The most characteristic feature is its ‘eyes’ (holes) that make up most of the cheese. The cheese was created in the early 1990s as an alternative to more expensive Swiss Emmental cheese. It is a high-fat cheese with a minimum of 45% fat. Although similar to Emmental, the moisture content in Maasdam is more, making it suppler. Nearly 15% of Dutch cheese production is made up of Maasdam.
It ripens faster than other Dutch cheeses, being ready in four to 12 weeks. The outside shell of the cheese has smooth, waxed yellow or naturally polished rind similar to Gouda. Inside the pate is a semi-firm, pale yellow with big eyes. It has a creamy texture and a sweet, buttery, nutty taste with a fruity background. If eaten young, it tastes delectable with a sandwich or as a snack. Satiate your taste buds by melting the cheese on casseroles, soups or fondues.
Maasdam cheese has all of the traits of Leerdammer cheese except for the brand name, which resides exclusively with Le Groupe Bel. It pairs well with White Zinfandel, Lager, Pale Ale, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chianti.

Maasdam

Royal FrieslandCampina NV is a Dutch multinational dairy cooperative which is based in Amersfoort, Netherlands.

FrieslandCampina

Gouda

Edam

Maasdam

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