Patrick Oconnell
Edam cheese is a semi-soft, semi-hard cheese made from bovine milk, although small amounts are made from caprine or ovine milk. It is named after the town of Edam in Holland, the Netherlands, and is usually coated in red wax. The cheese is made by heating milk to 72°F, adding cultures, and allowing the milk to sit quietly for 30 minutes. The milk is then slowly heated to 86-88°F, held at this temperature for an hour, and then left to sit for curdling. The curds are then cut and separated, and the whey is drained. The curds are then placed into moulds and brined in salt before being left to mature for up to a year.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | Holland |
| Typical shape | Spherical |
| Typical coating | Red wax |
| Texture when young | Slightly harder |
| Texture when young | Springy |
| Flavour when young | Mild, slightly salty or nutty |
| Flavour when aged | Stronger |
| Texture when aged | Firmer, drier, more crumbly |
| Typical accompaniments when young | Fruit such as peaches, melons, apricots, and cherries |
| Typical accompaniments when aged | Traditional "cheese fruits" like pears and apples |
| Common in | The Czech Republic, Indonesia, the Philippines, Spain, North and South America |
| Typical production method | Made from bovine milk, heated to 72°F, then curd cut and separated, soaked in brine solution, placed in moulds or pressed into spheres, covered in wax, aged for at least 2 months |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Edam is made from cow or goat's milk
Edam is a semi-soft, semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk or goat's milk. It is named after the town of Edam in Holland, and it is traditionally coated in red wax. It has a mild, slightly salty or nutty flavour, and a springy texture when young, which becomes drier and more crumbly as it ages. The process of making Edam involves heating milk to 72°F, then adding cultures. After 30 minutes, the milk is slowly heated to 86-88°F, and held at this temperature for an hour. The curd is then cut and separated, allowing the whey to strain off. The curd is then placed into moulds or pressed into spheres. The cheese is then soaked in a brine solution, which allows it to absorb salt, and inhibits unwanted bacterial growth. The cheese is then left to mature for up to a year, developing a stronger flavour as it ages.
Edam is usually made with low-fat milk (1.6-3% butterfat), which makes it drier than similar cheeses such as Gouda, which is made with full-fat milk. The choice of wooden vessels for making Edam, rather than metal, is due to the fact that iron and copper were not locally available in the pastoral lowlands of the Netherlands. The milk was taken directly from the herd at body temperature to ripen, and hot water was added to the vat if further heat was required.
Edam is considered a delicacy in Spain, North and South America, and is commonly eaten with fruit such as peaches, apricots, and cherries when young. Aged Edam is often eaten with traditional "cheese fruits" like pears and apples. It is also used as a topping for Indonesian dishes such as roti bakar, kue cubit, and pannenkoek. In the Philippines, Edam is popular at Christmas, and is served with jamón and pandesal.
Cheese Through the Ages: A Historical Perspective
You may want to see also
It's a semi-soft, semi-hard Dutch cheese
Edam cheese is a semi-soft, semi-hard Dutch cheese, traditionally made in Holland, in the northern regions of the Netherlands. It is named after the town of Edam in Holland, and is usually made with lower-fat milk (1.6-3% butterfat). This gives it a drier texture than similar cheeses like Gouda, which is made with full-fat milk.
Edam is a spherical cheese, often coated in red wax, and is known for its mild, nutty flavour. When young, it is slightly harder due to its lower fat content, and has a very mild, slightly salty or nutty taste. As it ages, its flavour sharpens, and it becomes firmer. The cheese is aged for at least two months, and longer for a stronger flavour.
The process of making Edam is focused on a special method adapted by the Dutch, likely influenced by their living environment in the pastoral lowlands of the Netherlands. The choice of vessels for making cheese was wood, not metal, as iron and copper were not locally available. To heat these large wooden vats, milk was taken directly from the herd at body temperature, and hot water was added to increase the temperature if needed.
Edam is made by first heating milk to 72°F, then adding cultures. The milk is then slowly heated to 86-88°F, and held at this temperature for an hour. The curds are then cut and separated, allowing the whey to strain off. The curds are then washed with warm water, and placed into moulds or pressed into spheres. The cheese is then brined in a salt solution, which adds flavour and inhibits bacterial growth. The cheese is then matured for up to a year, and the rind is covered in wax to preserve it during transportation.
The Magic Ingredients Behind Cheddar Cheese's Unique Taste
You may want to see also
It's named after a town in Holland
Edam cheese is named after the town of Edam in Holland, which is in the northern region of the Netherlands. The cheese is traditionally made in this area, and its name reflects this. In fact, Edam and Gouda, two Dutch-type cheeses, are named after towns in Holland that are only about 50 miles apart.
Edam cheese is a semi-soft to semi-hard cheese, depending on its age, with a spherical shape and a beautiful coating of red wax. It is usually made with lower-fat milk (1.6-3% butterfat), which gives it a drier texture compared to other cheeses. The process of making Edam involves heating milk to 72°F and then adding cultures. The milk is then slowly heated to 86-88°F over 10 minutes and held at this temperature for an hour. This step is important as the higher temperature is needed for the richer milk used in Edam.
After the milk is prepared, it is time to sanitise the cheese mould, cloth, and draining area. The curd is then cut and separated, allowing the whey to strain off. This step is crucial as it promotes the ideal concentration of flavour and texture, preventing any trace of acidity and bitterness. Once fully drained, the curd is placed into moulds or pressed into spheres.
The next step in the process is brining, where the cheese is soaked in a brine solution for 12 hours. This step allows the cheese to absorb salt and inhibits unwanted bacterial growth while adding flavour. After brining, the cheese is air-dried for several days until it is dry to the touch. At this point, the cheese is ready for waxing, which helps to preserve and protect it during transportation and storage. The final step is ageing, where the cheese is ripened for at least two months. The longer the cheese is aged, the stronger its flavour will become.
The Making of Feta: Presidential Cheese Secrets
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It's usually coated in red wax
Edam cheese is a semi-soft, semi-hard cheese with a mild taste and a low fat content. It is usually made with bovine milk, although small amounts are made with goat or sheep milk. It is named after the town of Edam in Holland, and it is traditionally coated in red wax, although it can also be coated in plastic.
The wax coating is applied after the cheese has been soaked in a brine solution for 12 hours and air-dried for several days. The cheese is then ready to be ripened, or aged, for at least two months, during which time it develops a stronger flavour. The wax coating helps to protect the cheese during transportation and shields it from contamination.
The red wax coating has made Edam a popular Christmas cheese in Sweden and Norway, and it has also been featured in various cultural art forms, including the novel 'All Quiet on the Western Front', where the main character believes that the red outer covering is a sign of impending death.
In addition to its traditional red wax coating, Edam can also be coated in a light surface wash of diluted Annatto, which gives it a warm orange hue. This is a common practice for homemade Edam cheese.
Heroin's Lethal Cousin: Cheese's Deadly Ingredients
You may want to see also
It's popular in the Philippines at Christmas
Edam cheese is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands, named after the town of Edam in North Holland. It is traditionally coated in red wax to preserve it during long voyages at sea. The Dutch East India Company introduced this cheese to the Philippines during the colonial period, and it has since become a staple during Christmas and New Year celebrations.
In the Philippines, Christmas is celebrated in many ways, but largely through food. The country has a large Catholic majority, and Christmas Eve is typically spent attending midnight mass, followed by a late-night celebration called Noche Buena. While the specifics of the holiday feast vary depending on family size and finances, it is common to find foods associated with superstition, like pancit (long noodles symbolising a long life) and queso de bola, which means "ball of cheese" in Spanish.
Queso de bola is a Filipino version of Edam cheese, produced in several countries, most famously in the Philippines. In the Philippines, it is mostly produced in the province of Bulacan, Central Luzon, an area known for its dairy industry and home to several cheese factories. The cheese is round and wrapped in red wax, which is considered a symbol of good luck. Although cheese does not feature prominently in Filipino cuisine, Noche Buena usually includes queso de bola, served with ham or warm pandesal.
Queso de bola is so ingrained in Filipino culture that it is now considered a distinct part of the country's Christmas traditions. Its introduction to the Philippines is part of a much larger history, but at face value, it is now distinctly Filipino.
Cheese Origins: A Global Perspective
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Edam cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk, although it can also be made from goat's milk. It is a semi-hard cheese with a mild taste and a low-fat content.
The process of making Edam cheese involves heating milk to 72°F, adding cultures, and then slowly heating the milk to 86-88°F. The curds are then cut and separated, and the whey is drained. The curds are then placed into molds and brined in a salt solution for 12 hours. The cheese is then air-dried and coated in wax before being aged for at least two months.
Edam cheese originates from the northern regions of the Netherlands and is named after the town of Edam in Holland. It is the most common cheese used in the Czech Republic, where it is known as eidam. Edam is also popular in Indonesia due to historical ties with the Netherlands and is known as keju edam.
