Gouda cheese
| Gouda | |
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| Country of origin | Netherlands |
| Region | South Holland |
| Town | Gouda |
| Source of milk | Cows |
| Pasteurised | Possibly |
| Texture | Semi-hard to Hard |
| Aging time | 1-36 months |
Gouda (
i/ˈɡaʊdə/[1] or i/ˈɡuːdə/;[2] Dutch: [ˈɣʌu̯.da] (
listen); Dutch: Goudse kaas [ˈɣʌu̯t.sə ˈkaːs] "Cheese from Gouda") is an iconic Dutch yellow cheese made from cow's milk. The cheese is named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands, but its name is not protected. One of the most popular cheeses worldwide, the name is used today as a general term for a variety of similar cheese produced in the traditional Dutch manner as well as the Dutch original.[3]
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History[edit]
The first mention of Gouda cheese dates from 1184, making it one of the oldest recorded cheeses in the world still made today.[4]
The cheese is named after the Dutch city of Gouda, not because it is produced in or near the city, but because it has historically been traded there. In the Middle Ages, Dutch cities could obtain certain feudal rights which gave them primacy or a total monopoly on certain goods. Within the County of Holland it was Gouda which acquired the sole right to have a market in which Hollandic farmers could sell their cheese. It was at Gouda that all the cheeses would be laid onto the market square to sell.
Teams consisting of the guild of cheese-porters, identified by differently colored straw hats, carried the farmers' cheese on barrows, which typically weighed about 160 kilograms. Buyers then sampled the cheeses and negotiated a price using a ritual system called handjeklap in which buyers and sellers clap each other's hands and shout prices. Once a price was agreed, the porters would carry the cheese to the weighing house and complete the sale.[5] To this day farmers from the surrounding region gather in Gouda every Thursday morning between 10 am and 12:30 pm from June until August to have their cheese weighed, tasted and priced.[6]
Today, most Dutch Gouda is produced industrially. However, some 300 Dutch farmers still or also produce "Boerenkaas" ("Farmers cheese") which is a protected form of Gouda made in the traditional manner, using unpasteurized milk. In Dutch culture, cheese making is a woman's task and generally remains so today with farmers' wives passing their cheese making skills on to their daughters.
Process[edit]
Gouda cheese is best described as a style of cheese making rather than a kind of cheese, as its taste depends almost completely on the time it has aged. The cheese is made from cultured milk that is heated until the curds separate from the whey. Some of the whey is then drained and water is added. This is called "washing the curd", and creates a sweeter cheese, as the washing removes some of the lactic acid. About ten percent of the mixture are curds, which are pressed into circular molds for several hours. These molds are the essential reason behind its traditional, characteristic shape. The cheese is then soaked in a brine solution, which gives the cheese and its rind a distinctive taste.
The cheese is dried for a few days before being coated with a yellow coating to prevent it from drying out, then it is aged, during which process the cheese changes from semi-hard to hard. Dutch cheese makers generally use six gradations to classify the cheese:
- Jonge kaas (4 weeks)
- Jong belegen (8-10 weeks)
- Belegen (16-18 weeks)
- Extra belegen (7-8 months)
- Oude kaas (10-12 months)
- Overjarige kaas (18 months and more)
As it ages, it develops a caramel sweetness and has a slight crunchiness from salt-like calcium lactate or tyrosine crystals that form in older cheeses. After 12 months of aging, aminoacid (tyrosin) crystals start to form and gives the Old Gouda Cheese its particular taste and flavour[7] Young Gouda cheese is typically used on sandwiches, either cold or melted. In the Netherlands, chunks of young Gouda are often eaten as a snack with Dutch mustard and are sometimes topped with sugar or apple syrup. Older Gouda is generally eaten alongside strong pale beers, such as Tripel, Dubbel, Trappist, Oud bruin and Witbier.
Protection[edit]
The term "Gouda" is not restricted to cheese of Dutch origin.[8] However, both "Noord-Hollandse Gouda" and "Boerenkaas" are registered in the EU as a Protected Geographical Status. These cheeses can only be made in the Netherlands and can only use milk produced by Dutch cows.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. 1989.
- ^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
- ^ "European commission confirms protection for Gouda Holland". DutchNews.NL. 7 October 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
- ^ Website der CMA Geschichte des Käses
- ^ Alkmaar cheese market - Cheese Bargaining. kaasmarkt.nl; VVV, NL.
- ^ Gouda Cheese Market event information. Stichting Goudse Kaas foundation, 2010.
- ^ McGee, Harold (2004). On Food and Cooking. Scribner. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-684-80001-1.
- ^ "Kwaliteit Goudse kaas brokkelt af". Nieuwsblad.be (in Dutch) (Brussels). Retrieved 2007-12-11.
- ^ "Noord-Hollandse Gouda". Agriculture Quality Policy. European Commission. Archived from Noord-Hollandse the original on 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gouda cheese |
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Look up gouda in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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