Randy Chandler
The Netherlands is known for its excellent cheese, with a wide variety of options available. While Cheddar cheese is not commonly produced in the Netherlands and is usually imported from the UK, there are several Dutch cheeses that are similar to Cheddar in terms of taste, texture, and melting properties. One of the most well-known Dutch cheeses is Gouda, which has a rich, nutty taste and a crumbly texture. It is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk and can be used as a substitute for Cheddar in grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers. Another option is Edam, a semi-hard cheese with a mild and salty taste. It has a distinct yellow interior and is typically coated in red or yellow wax. Other Dutch cheeses that can be considered similar to Cheddar include Leerdammer, an Emmental-style semi-firm cheese, and Maasdam, which has a sweet and nutty flavor.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Gouda |
| Type of Milk | Cow |
| Texture | Semi-hard |
| Taste | Aromatic, nutty, sweet, salty, creamy, sharp |
| Variants | Pasteurized, unpasteurized, vegetarian, non-vegetarian |
| Aging | 4 weeks to 12 months |
| Colour | Yellow |
| Coating | Red or yellow wax |
| Fat Content | 40% |
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What You'll Learn
- Gouda, a semi-hard Dutch cheese, is a good substitute for cheddar
- Edam, a semi-hard cows' milk cheese, is the second most important Dutch cheese
- Blue-veined Gouda is a Dutch cheese with a blue-on-white exterior
- Graskaas is a seasonal cows' milk cheese made from the first milkings of spring
- Nagelkaas, or nail cheese, is a clove cheese with a spicy flavour
Gouda, a semi-hard Dutch cheese, is a good substitute for cheddar
Gouda is named after a town in the Netherlands and has a dense and springy texture. Its flavour ranges from sweet and creamy to sharp, depending on its age. The oldest varieties of Gouda, such as Oude kaas and Overjarig, are excellent for eating in crumbly shards with a drizzle of Dutch apple syrup.
Gouda is a very versatile cheese and can be used in a variety of dishes. It is excellent on grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers. It can also be used as a substitute for cheddar in cooking. The extra belegen variety of Gouda, which is aged for 7 to 8 months, is a great substitute for cheddar in recipes.
In addition to the traditional variety, there is also a blue-veined Gouda cheese that is commercially sold as Delfts Blauw or Bleu de Graven. This variety has a blue-on-white exterior that pays tribute to the famous Dutch Delft pottery. It has a mild, sweet flavour and is best paired with grapes or apple slices.
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Edam, a semi-hard cows' milk cheese, is the second most important Dutch cheese
Edam is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese named after the town of Edam in the Netherlands. It is the second most important cheese in the country, making up 27% of the country's total cheese production. Edam is typically covered in red paraffin, though in the Netherlands, it is covered in yellow paraffin. It is also sometimes coated in black paraffin. It has a fat content of 40% and a very mellow, salty taste. Its flavour intensifies with age, as does its hardness.
Edam is often eaten with fruit, such as peaches, melons, apricots, and cherries, or with "cheese fruits" like pears and apples. It is commonly eaten on crackers and bread and is a good dessert option after a meal. Recommended wine pairings include Pinot gris, dry Riesling, semidry Riesling, sparkling wine, Chardonnay, and Shiraz/Syrah.
In the past, Edam was made in special wooden cheese forms, which could also be used as helmets in times of need. This dual-purpose cheese form is the reason why the Dutch population came to be known as "cheese-heads". Today, Edam is typically mass-produced in large cheese factories from pasteurized milk, though some raw milk varieties can still be found. It is usually aged for 6-8 weeks, though there are more aged versions available, aged for up to 10 months.
Edam is a very well-known cheese around the world and is the most common cheese in the Czech Republic, where it is usually sold under the name "eidam". It is also quite popular in Indonesia due to historical ties with the Netherlands and is known there as "keju edam". In Spain and some of its former colonies, such as the Philippines and many Latin American countries, Edam is known as "queso de bola" (ball cheese) and is considered a delicacy.
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Blue-veined Gouda is a Dutch cheese with a blue-on-white exterior
While blue cheese is not a traditional Dutch cheese, the Dutch do make some excellent blue-veined Gouda cheeses. Blue-veined Gouda is a Dutch cheese with a blue-on-white exterior and is the most well-known type of blue cheese produced in the Netherlands. It is often the highlight of a cheese board and is used in savoury dishes, sauces, and dressings.
Blue-veined cheese, also known as blue mould cheese, is characterised by blue mould. This is added as a powder or liquid to the curd and works under the influence of oxygen. During growth, blue fungi produce certain by-products, which provide the typical smell and taste. Some well-known blue cheeses include Blue Stilton, Huntsman, and Shropshire Blue.
Gouda is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese traditionally traded in the Dutch town of Gouda. Today, the name "Gouda" is often used as a generic term for Dutch-style cheese. Within the Gouda family, there are many varieties, including Graskaas, made from the first milkings after the cows return to the grassy polders after a winter spent inside. The fresh springtime grasses lend the 1-month-old cheese a rich, creamy texture and a naturally yellow colour. When Graskaas is aged for only one week, it has a milky colour and is called Meikaas.
Gouda is a popular substitute for cheddar cheese. Aged Goudas, such as Oude Kaas (aged for at least 10 months) and Overjarig (aged 1-2 years), are excellent substitutes for cheddar in recipes. These older varieties are best enjoyed in crumbly shards with a drizzle of Dutch apple syrup.
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Graskaas is a seasonal cows' milk cheese made from the first milkings of spring
Graskaas, or "grass cheese" in Dutch, is a seasonal cow's milk cheese. It is made from the first milkings of spring, after the cows are let out to pasture for the first time after spending the winter indoors. This milk is particularly rich and produces a mild-flavoured, creamy cheese. Graskaas is a relatively rare cheese, with only a few manufacturers, such as Beemster, producing it.
Graskaas is a type of Gouda, a semi-hard cow's milk cheese that is now a worldwide generic term for Dutch-style cheese. Gouda is named after the Dutch town of the same name and is known for its rich, nutty taste and slightly crumbly texture. Within the Gouda family, there are many varieties, including young cheeses that are well-suited for sandwiches and older varieties that are excellent for eating in crumbly shards with a drizzle of syrup.
Graskaas is made from milk produced by cows that have fed on fresh springtime grasses, which gives the cheese its rich, creamy texture and natural yellow colour. When Graskaas is aged for up to one week, it is called Meikaas and has a milky colour. If it is aged for four weeks, it becomes Jonge kaas, and if aged for two months, it is called Jong belegen kaas. These younger varieties pair well with Dutch grain mustard.
Older Goudas, such as Extra belegen (aged for 7 to 8 months), can be used as a substitute for Cheddar cheese in cooking. The oldest varieties, such as Oude kaas (aged for at least 10 months) and Overjarig (aged for 1 to 2 years), are best enjoyed in their crumbly form. Boeren Goudse Oplegkaas, an artisanal variety of Gouda, is made from the milk of grass-fed cows during the summer and is aged for at least one year and up to four years.
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Nagelkaas, or nail cheese, is a clove cheese with a spicy flavour
Nagelkaas is a variety of Kanterkaas, a hard cheese produced in Friesland, with variants flavoured with cumin and cloves. Friesland is a region in the Netherlands known for its dairy production and has a strong cheese-making tradition. The region's climate and soil quality contribute to the high quality of milk produced, which is ideal for cheese-making.
Gouda, named after the Dutch town, is a well-known variety of Dutch cheese with a rich, nutty taste and a slightly crumbly texture. It is often used as a substitute for cheddar cheese in recipes. Within the Gouda family, there are many varieties, including the extra belegen, which is aged for 7 to 8 months and can be used as a substitute for cheddar cheese.
Other Dutch cheeses similar to cheddar include Vlaskaas, a firm yet creamy cheese with a sweet and sharp flavour, and Rotterdamsche Oude, a trademarked aged Gouda cheese with a hard texture.
In addition to Nagelkaas and other Gouda varieties, the Netherlands offers a diverse range of cheeses, such as Edam, Leerdammer, and Boerenkaas, each with its unique characteristics and flavour profiles.
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Frequently asked questions
Gouda is a Dutch cheese that can be used as a substitute for Cheddar in recipes. It has a rich, nutty taste and a crumbly texture.
You can buy Dutch cheese from a cheese shop on Rundstraat in Amsterdam. There is also a shop at Elandsgracht, Utrechtsestraat and Maasstraat that sells a variety of cheeses, including Cheddar.
Some other Dutch cheeses include Edam, Leerdammer, Maasdam, Nagelkaas, Limburger, Kanterkaas, and Beemster.
Gouda is typically made from cow's milk and can be either pasteurized or unpasteurized. It is characterized by its aromatic and caramel-like flavor, combined with a dense and springy texture.
