We Visit Gouda, Holland – 5 Things I learned About Cheese

Cheese. I eat it, I put it on hamburgers and tacos, but I never really thought much about it otherwise. I was surprised when all of that changed during our European River cruise. We stopped over at the town of Gouda, Holland, to learn something about the history of cheese, and much to my surprise, I was fascinated.

Gouda, Holland Coanri/Rita / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

My husband said it was the analytical part of my brain –  the part that causes him to shake his head when we’re having a “discussion.” He tilts his head and gives me the look, which means “you’re thinking too much again.” I could see his point – here we were on a romantic Rhine river cruise, and I was sidetracked from the scenery by Gouda cheese. Sort of ironic, and I could see his point. So what did I learn?

1) How do you pronounce it? Did you know that while we pronounce it “GOO-duh,” in Europe it is pronounced “GAOW-duh?” The locals smiled indulgently at my pronunciation, then gently corrected me. Yes, Gouda cheese originated in the town by that name in The Netherlands. Farmers in the area surrounding the town would bring their cheeses to town on market days. Over time, the type of cheese became associated with the town. The name is not trademarked, so this type of cheese can be made anywhere. But during the spring and summer, Gouda cheese is still sold in the marketplace, and a local vendor told me weighing cheeses for market was typically performed with great pride and ceremony.

2) Curds and whey. I admit it – the cheese I’ve known about was in plastic wrapped packages in the supermarket. The local vendor explained the process to me, using terms like curds and whey (wasn’t that Little Miss Muffet?), which now began to make sense. The cheese is made from whole milk, and in the manufacturing process, is separated into solids (curds) and whey (liquids), at which time some of the liquid portion is drained off. It was a surprise to see that they still make Gouda cheese in large round blocks, a rich and vibrant yellow.

3) Washing the cheese. When the vendor saw that I wasn’t (completely) lost, he told me more. The process of eliminating the liquids is called “washing” the curds, which removes lactic acid, creating a sweeter cheese. The curds are scooped into drainable round molds, to guess what – expel more whey. They really don’t want the liquids to remain. Then the round curds are placed into a tank of brine to provide flavor, but also to promote the formation of the rind. At this point my husband wandered off, and I knew his tolerance for learning about cheese was over.

4) Old or young cheese. I discovered that aging cheese is an essential part of the process. If the Gouda cheese is intended to be consumed “young,” it is dipped in wax – red or yellow – and put in cold storage for several months. Cheese intended to be aged for roughly two years or longer has time to harden more, and have a more substantial texture. These aged cheeses may be difficult to cut with a knife, being harder, but are wonderful cheeses for grating, to add flavor to soups, stews and mashed potatoes.

5) Centuries old process. I never knew all of this effort was taken on the production of cheese, and now I found that this process has been going on for centuries – I heard the 1600s cited as a reference point. Locals said that no one knows for sure when cheese production actually started in the area. It was clear that I hadn’t fully appreciated the history of that slice of cheese that went on my cheeseburger.

Wait – was that Gouda on my cheeseburger, or some other type of cheese? As we continued our Rhine River cruise, I made a note to myself to check out the different kinds of cheeses. My husband just smiled indulgently, knowing that another item had been added to my “need to know” list.

Carol Atkins has been traveling the globe for much of her life; she’s a travel-holic.   She loves of all types of travel adventures including her recent Rhine river cruise, island hopping, hiking, biking and being lazy on the beach :).   Follow her on twitter @atkins_carol