Top 10 Fun Facts about Gouda

Gouda siers photo by Martula13 Wikimedia

Top 10 Fun Facts about Gouda

Gouda is a sweet, creamy, yellow cow’s milk cheese which originated from the Netherlands. It has been one of the most popular cheese world wide. The name which is being used as a general term for numerous similar cheeses. That are produced in the traditional Dutch Manner.

Gouda is traditionally made in flat wheels of 10 to 12poudnds. Each with a thin natural rind coated on yellow paraffin. It has a smooth -textured interior of pale ivory color. The flavors are bland and creamy except for the aged Gouda which is darker gold in color, stronger and saltier in flavor and harder in texture.

The general style of cheesemaking rather than to a specific kind of cheese, pointing to its taste, which varies with age. Gouda has been described as having a flavour that is “lightly fudgy with nuts, but very, very, very mild”.

After cultured milk is curdled, 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 lactose, resulting in a reduction of lactic acid produced. About 10% of the mixture is 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 plastic coating to prevent it from drying out, then it is aged, during which process the cheese changes from semi-hard to hard. 

There are four types of Gouda; baby Gouda, which usually has a red wax coating and an extremely mild flavor because of its minimal aging time; goat’s milk Gouda, which has a sharper taste due to the use of goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk; American Gouda most resembles the Dutch original and can be found in most supermarkets. Covered in black wax, aged Gouda is cured for two years and is considered a rarity among cheese experts.

Gouda can be used on baked potatoes and as a cheddar substitute in macaroni and cheese. Gouda can also be paired with bread or crackers and fruit along with chardonnay or beer. On a cheese platter, Gouda can be served along with a bleu cheese such as Stilton and soft cheeses like brie or camembert.

These are Top 10 Fun Facts about Gouda

1.The first mention of Gouda cheese dates from 1184

Gouda cheese. photo by E4024 Wikimedia

The first mention of Gouda cheese dates back in 1184. Hence making it one of the oldest recorded cheese in the world and still made today. It is widely imitated in other cheese producing countries.

Farmers from neighboring towns would bring their cheese to the “Waag” or weigh house in the town of Gouda. Every Thursday morning, a “cheese weighing” ceremony took place and became a bonafide tourist attraction; participants even got to sample genuine Gouda cheese.

2.Gouda has been named after a city in Holland

This is where cheesemakers from surrounding towns still come to have their cheese weighed, priced and sold at a cheese market.  Though “Gouda” has become more of a broad term and not associated with the city. 

Even though Gouda cheese originated in Holland, it is made in countries all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Sweden. In America, Gouda is produced mainly in Wisconsin and New York state.

3. The cheese is used at wine tasting as a palate cleanser

Gouda cheese photo by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin Wikimedia

Gouda  has been often used on dessert platters, sandwiches, and at wine tastings as a palate cleanser. This is depending on the age of the cheese, Gouda can be mild or strong, and is usually labeled accordingly.

4.The more old the cheese is, the sweeter it is

Gouda Cheese that is a  year or elder is sweeter . And   also it can be  enjoyed with strong beers because of its natural sweet caramel taste. To make it last long, it’s essential to store it well.

5. Gouda cheese can age for several weeks or even for years

Gouda siers photo by Martula13 Wikimedia

It is aged from several weeks to seven years. Older Goudas are saltier and more pungent while young Gouda is mild and creamy. Whereas the young cheese is more creamy and mild in taste. Few producers also add some spices while manufacturing this cheese, to add a new flavor touch overall.

6. It has a mild flavor

Gouda cheese has a mild flavor. That works well on many dishes. Gouda cheese melts nicely into cheese sauces for pasta and works well on hot sandwiches. In recipes that call for a mild cheddar, Gouda can be a great substitute. 

7.The color of the wax coating can sometimes tell you a little bit about what’s inside.

Gouda cheese. photo by E4024 Wikimedia

Young Goudas, aged between one and six months, are usually wrapped in red or yellow wax, while mature Goudas generally have a black or darker coating. Goat cheese Goudas are traditionally wrapped in white or blue wax.

8. There are numerous health advantages of gouda cheese

By bringing down the levels of homocysteine, an acid that aids in the development of cardiovascular disease. The vitamin B12  supplies aids in maintaining the health of our hearts. Additionally, a substantial quantity of protein and hemoglobin are synthesized, which aids in the organization of our tissues and organs.

Protein is the body’s primary need, thus there is no need to discuss this. Men get 12% of the recommended daily amount of protein from this cheese, while women get 15%. Its high calcium concentration lowers the risk of blood clotting and maintains appropriate blood pressure.

9.Goat milk can be used to make gouda cheese

Gouda cheese photo by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin Wikimedia Wikimedia

The most common milk used is cow milk, but goat milk, which is also from Holland, can be used for the same purposes. When comparing the two, the one made from goat milk has a tangier flavor than the one prepared from cow milk. The wax covering this goat cheese gouda is either white or blue. This goat cheese matures in around five months, and as a result, the interior is ivory in color.

 10. Most people mix up Cheddar and Gouda cheeses, yet their production processes are very different

Instead of calling it a type of cheese, it is more like a method of manufacturing cheese. We can see the difference in everything from driving technique to surface texture.
Cheddar cheese is off-white and relatively firm, to put it simply. It is from the English village of cheddar and has many different uses. It tastes strongly like butter and is less sweet than gouda cheese.