Gouda (cheese)
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Gouda cheese (, , ; , "cheese from Gouda") is a creamy, yellow
cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
's
milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
originating from the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. It is one of the most popular and produced cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar cheeses produced in the traditional Dutch manner.


History

The cheese is named after the city of
Gouda, South Holland Gouda () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province , city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands , municipality in the west of the Netherlands, between Rotterdam and Utrecht (city), Utrecht, in the Provinces of the Netherland ...
because it was traded there. In the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, Dutch cities could obtain certain feudal rights which gave them primacy or a total
monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...
on certain goods. Within the
County of Holland The County of Holland was a Imperial State, state of the Holy Roman Empire from its inception until 1433. From 1433 onward it was part of the Burgundian Netherlands, from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 onward the leading pro ...
, Gouda acquired
market rights A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
on cheese, the sole right to have a market in which the county's farmers could sell their cheese. All the cheeses would be taken to the market square in Gouda to be sold. Teams consisting of the guild of cheese-porters, identified by distinct differently coloured straw hats, carried the farmers' cheeses, which typically weighed about , in barrows. Buyers then sampled the cheeses and negotiated a price using a ritual
bargaining In the social sciences, bargaining or haggling is a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a Goods and services, good or service debate the price or nature of a Financial transaction, transaction. If the bargaining produces agree ...
system called in which buyers and sellers clap each other's hands and shout out various prices. Once a price was agreed upon, the porters would carry the cheese to the weighing house and complete the sale. Modern Gouda had evolved by the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. Cheesemaking traditionally was a woman's task in Dutch culture, with farmers' wives passing their cheesemaking skills onto their daughters. Most Dutch Gouda is now produced industrially. However, some 300 Dutch farmers still produce ''boerenkaas'' ("farmer's cheese"), which is a protected form of Gouda made in the traditional manner, using unpasteurised milk.


Process

Various sources suggest that the term ''Gouda'' refers more to a general style of
cheesemaking Cheesemaking (or caseiculture) is the craft of making cheese. The production of cheese, like many other food preservation processes, allows the nutritional and economic value of a food material, in this case milk, to be preserved in concentrate ...
rather than to a specific kind of cheese, pointing to its taste, which varies with age. Young (and factory-produced) Gouda has been described as having a flavour that is "lightly fudgy with nuts, but very, very, very mild", while a more mature farmhouse Gouda has a "lovely fruity tang" with a "sweet finish", that may take on "an almost butterscotch flavour" if aged over two years. After cultured milk is curdled, some of the whey is drained and water is added to the batch. This is called "washing the curd"; it creates a sweeter cheese by removing some of the
lactose Lactose is a disaccharide composed of galactose and glucose and has the molecular formula C12H22O11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from (Genitive case, gen. ), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix ''-o ...
, resulting in a reduction of
lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has the molecular formula C3H6O3. It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as wel ...
produced. About 10% of the mixture is curds, which are pressed into circular
mould A mold () or mould () is one of the structures that certain fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of spores containing fungal secondary metabolites. The spores are the dispersal units of the fungi ...
s for several hours. These moulds are the essential reason behind its traditional, characteristic shape. The cheese is then soaked in a
brine Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...
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 wax or plastic-like coating to prevent it from drying out. It is then aged, which hardens the cheese and develops its flavor. Dutch cheese makers generally use six gradations, or categories, to classify the cheese: # Young cheese (4 weeks) # Young matured (8–10 weeks) # Matured (16–18 weeks) # Extra matured (7–9 months) # Old cheese (10–12 months) # Very old cheese (12 months to 20 months) As it ages, it develops a caramel sweetness and has a slight crunchiness from cheese crystals, especially in older cheeses. In the Netherlands, cubes of Gouda are often eaten as a snack served with Dutch mustard. Older varieties are sometimes topped with sugar or apple butter. Cubes of Gouda are commonly served as a snack along with beer in traditional Dutch Brown Bars.


Sensory and chemical properties


Chemical properties

The amount of moisture that is present in Gouda cheese plays an important part in determining its texture; cheeses that include higher moisture levels tend to be softer and more creamy, whilst cheeses that have a lower moisture levels tend to be stiffer and may develop a crystalline structure as they age. In most cases, Gouda cheese has a high moisture content, falling in the range of 40% to 50%. A cheese's fat content not only contributes to its texture, but also contributes to its flavor, and affects its melting properties. The fat content allows for the transportation and release of flavour-enhancing chemicals, increasing the cheese's overall flavour profile. Gouda cheese has a variable fat content, typically ranging from 20% to 40%. Certain aroma-active chemicals found in Gouda cheese are responsible for the cheese's distinctive flavour, which can be traced back to six components: *
Diacetyl Diacetyl ( ; IUPAC systematic name: butanedione or butane-2,3-dione) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH3CO)2. It is a yellow liquid with an intensely buttery flavor. It is a vicinal diketone (two C=O groups, side-by-side). Di ...
* 2-Methylbutanal * 3-Methylbutanal * Methional * Ethyl butyrate *
Acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main compone ...
Casein (the primary protein found in cows' milk) is the predominant type of protein found in gouda cheese, leading to the cheese's high protein content. During the manufacturing process, casein coagulates to create curds, contributing to the cheese's stiffness and overall structure.


Flavour

Gouda cheese is recognised for its diverse flavour profile. Depending on its age, Gouda cheese can exhibit a wide range of flavour qualities: from mild and creamy, to harsh and acidic. These flavours develop as Gouda cheeses reach the medium stage of maturation; showing extra whey, sour aromatics, and a somewhat cooked or milky essence are indicators of the cheese's increasing complexity. Matured Gouda has a rich, caramel-like flavour, developed after prolonged ripening, along with brothy and malty or nutty undertones. Depending on how long the cheese has been aged, the finish can range from silky to sharp.


Appearance and texture

Gouda cheese has a solid and springy texture. Young Gouda cheese often has a smooth, creamy texture and a pale ivory to light yellow colour. Over time, the cheese's appearance changes into a richer golden hue, and its texture becomes more crumbly and firm. Gouda cheese obtains a harder, crystalline appearance as it ages, where small crystals may be visible.


Nutritional value


Protection

The term "Gouda" is not restricted to cheese of Dutch origin. However, "Boerenkaas", "Noord-Hollandse Gouda", and "Gouda Holland" are protected geographical indications in the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
. These cheeses can only be made in the Netherlands (although not only in the Dutch province of and South Holland, in which Gouda is situated) and can only use milk produced by Dutch cows.


See also

*
List of cheeses This is a list of cheeses by place of origin. Cheese is a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors dep ...
* List of Dutch cheeses *
List of smoked foods This is a list of smoked foods. Smoking (cooking), Smoking is the process of seasoning, flavoring, cooking, or food preservation, preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. Foods have been smoke ...


References


External links

*
A collection of old pictures and drawings of Gouda. (A journey through the past)
{{Authority control Cow's-milk cheeses Dutch cheeses Dutch cuisine Gouda, South Holland Smoked cheeses Brined cheeses