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Gourmets, comparing French and Dutch varieties of cheeses, are often called the Dutch product “more practical”. He really is more popular in the world. Unlike its exquisite French cousin, Dutch cheese does not have a sharp taste or peculiar smell, it does not scare away stained mold from itself, and its price is much more affordable. One of the most famous Dutch varieties of cheese is Gouda.
Why “Gouda”
Gouda is a semi-hard Dutch cheese with a delicate creamy taste and a fat content of 48 to 50%. Cow’s milk is used for the classic recipe, although some manufacturers take goat or sheep instead.
They say that the first written mention of this product can be found in the records of the battles of Julius Caesar, who, according to legend, appreciated the gastronomic characteristics of this product. Although many researchers of culinary history argue that Caesar did not use Goudou, but some other cheese. The “birth” of the Gauds is associated with the eponymous Dutch city, and it appeared on the world map only in the XIII century. True, there is another version, according to which not cheese was named after the city, but on the contrary – the town of Gouda got its name due to the cheese that was made in this territory since ancient times. By the way, in Gouda today, just like in the Middle Ages, every Thursday there is a cheese fair, where, like many centuries ago, you can buy first-hand the head of a real delicacy. According to ancient tradition, farmers gather in the marketplace and, bargaining, everyone shouts out his price. The final deal “fix”, clapping each other in the palm of your hand.
General characteristics
Today, the head of the gauda is usually 6 or 12 kg of cheese, the color of which, depending on the aging time, can be from pale yellow to deep orange or even brownish. True, in Gouda, tourists are offered miniature half-pound copies of a cheese head – a flat cylinder with rounded edges.
Cheese traditions of the Netherlands have a very long history. Researchers suggest that cheese making in this region was practiced even before our era. And if you believe this, then it is quite possible that Caesar, in his campaign against the Gauls, was indeed supported by a real gauuda. Another interesting fact is that cheese in Holland has always been a very valuable commodity. There was a time when Dutch mariners paid port taxes only on this product.
By the way, gouda is very similar to another famous Dutch cheese – edam. Both options are made from cow’s milk with the addition of rennet. The main difference between cheeses is the percentage of fat content. If in gouda the percentage of fat should be at least 48%, then in edam this figure is about 40%. But the taste of aged gouda resembles another well-known cheese, however, already of English origin – cheddar.
Varieties and varieties
At one time, the Dutch did not want to “patent” Gouda, so today in any country you can make cheese and call it Gouda. But its taste will differ significantly from the authentic product. By the way, nowadays only in Holland they still make a product according to an old farm recipe from whole cow’s milk. There were about three hundred cheese-makers in the country who make the product in the old-fashioned way. This variety in the Netherlands is called – farmers (Boerenkaas).
By the time of exposure Gouda is of several types:
- Jonge kaas – 4 weeks of aging;
- Jong belegen – from 8 to 10 weeks;
- Belegen – from 16 to 18 weeks;
- Extra belegen – from 7 to 10 months;
- Oude kaas – from 10 months to 1;
- Overjarige kaas – from 18 months.
It should be said that the longer the product was kept, the darker and sharper it tasted. Young cheeses are more tender in texture, have a creamy taste and a delicate yellow color. But in any case, the product should be decorated with “eyes”, evenly distributed on the head of the cheese.
This Dutch Gouda can be recognized by a special stamp. It is always round on industrial cheese heads, and rectangular on farm heads. The stamp indicates the name of the product, the geography of its origin, fat content and serial number. On the farmer also indicate the name of the manufacturer. Another difference between farm and industrial cheeses is the outer shell. “Grandfather’s” cheeses have a natural crust, and industrial – from paraffin (protects the product from drying). By the way, by the color of the paraffin you can find out the country of origin of the non-Dutch Gouda. Yellow paraffin is used in most countries and red is used in the United States and the Canary Islands. But the unique black wax is used only in the production of genuine Dutch cheese, whose age exceeds 18 months.
How do gauds
Gouda is made from cow’s milk with the addition of rennet. First, the milk is heated until the whey is separated, after which the exfoliated cottage cheese is washed with water, removing lactic acid from it. This process even has a special name – “curd washing”. Then the prepared cheese mass is placed in molds and sent for several hours under a press. The finished head is soaked in brine (the ancient Dutch used seawater for this), after which it is dried for several days.
How to make at home
Gouda belongs to those products that you can cook with your own hands at home. On 16 l cow’s milk will need for 4 g of calcium chloride and rennet, as well as brine for salting and wax to cover the head. The output will be approximately 2 kg of cheese, the quality of which depends entirely on the selected milk. Therefore, it is better to take a whole non-boiled product (milk for cheese should not be heated above 75 degrees).
To begin with, the selected milk should be heated to 32 degrees and remove the pan from the heat. Add the leaven (sprinkle the surface of the milk and do not stir until the dry yeast gets wet), mix and leave for 30 minutes. Add calcium chloride (dilute to 50 ml of water) and rennet, mix again, cover the pan and leave for another 45 minutes. By this time, a clump of curd and transparent whey should form. Cut the curd into cubes (with a side in 1,5 cm), leave for 5 minutes, then slowly stir the contents of the pan for 5 minutes and leave again for 5 minutes. After that, cottage cheese grains should settle at the bottom of the tank, if this did not happen, repeat the procedure with stirring and settling.
At the next stage, pour out 1,5 l of serum from the pan, and instead add the same warm water (heat to 65 degrees), mix again and leave for 5 minutes. Now take 5 l of serum from the pan and add 5 l of water (heat to 47 degrees). Stir in the contents for about 20 minutes and then stand for 10 minutes. Cover the sieve with gauze, folded in several layers, filter curd seeds. Squeeze cottage cheese through cheesecloth and put under the press. During the first 30 minutes, the weight of the press should be 4 kg, the next 60 minutes – 6 kg, the remaining 2 hours – 8 kg.
Formed head of cheese pour 20% brine (1 kg of salt in 4 liters of water), leave for 12-16 hours (during this time the cheese must be turned over once). After removing the cheese from the brine, dry it for 3-5 days at a temperature of 10-15 degrees. Pour the finished head with molten wax and send it to aging (each week the head should be turned over).
How to properly serve and use
Gouda is a traditional ingredient in cheese plates. But where to put a gouda on a plate depends entirely on its age. According to the rules, cheeses on a plate are placed in rows from the sharpest (on the edge of the plate) to the most tender (in the center). Thus, a young Gouda with a creamy texture, a sweetish-fruity taste and a delicate nutty flavor should be placed in the central part of the plate. Closer to the edges of the cut-platter will be a mature Gouda with a denser texture and a pronounced nut-caramel taste and aroma.
This kind of cheese goes well with fruits, toasts, mustard. Which wine, whiskey or beer to choose for cheese depends on the age of the product. But in any case, the drink and cheese should not jam, but emphasize the taste of each other. So, aged cheese goes well with ale, which also has a pronounced nutty-caramel flavor. Gourmets recommend tasting lightly smoked gouda with a porter, and the oldest cheese with Belgian beer. The youngest gouda with a delicate aroma and fruity flavor is best combined with champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or Merlot, and Chardonnay, port or Riesling will help to emphasize the taste of a mature product. If we talk about whiskey, then a single malt drink is ideal for a young gouda, and for cheese “aged” – bourbon, rye whiskey or Scotch scotch.
Dutch cheese can be served as a snack, make sauces from it, add to salads, casseroles of vegetables or meat.
How to choose and store
The choice of gauda begins with an inspection of its crust, on which there should be no traces of moisture. If the head is covered with paraffin, then it is important that there are no cracks or other damage on it. The flesh of the fresh product is always strong, springing under the touch with your fingers. About the quality of the cheese will tell and his “eyes.” A real Gouda has holes of regular shape with smooth edges, which are evenly spaced all over the head, but do not reach its edges by about 1 cm.
A quality fresh product should not crumble or stick to the knife. A bitter or other unusual taste for Gouda is a sign of a spoiled product or made using the wrong technology.
The “sealed” Gouda head can be stored in the refrigerator for about six months. Cut cheese should be consumed within a few days. Its pulp easily absorbs odors, so it is important to choose the right “neighbors” in the refrigerator.
Useful Properties
It is believed that 100 g of cheese on nutritional characteristics corresponds to 1 liter of milk, that is, it contains similar useful substances, but in a 10-fold concentration. Despite such a high saturation with chemical components, Dutch cheese is easily absorbed by the body. And the whole secret is that in the process of fermentation, the cheese gets rid of lactose. In addition, milk protein in cheese takes a special form, in which it is easier and more fully absorbed by the human body.
Gouda contains many vitamins, including A, B, C, D, E, K. The group of micro and macro elements consists of selenium, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, potassium and many other substances. By the way, scientists have determined that the beneficial substances contained in gouda are best absorbed by the body if you use the product for breakfast and at the same time warm it to room temperature. But the Italian habit of sprinkling pizza with grated cheese to give an appetizing crust is not so useful for the body. When baked, the cheese loses milk proteins, and the concentration of fat in the product increases significantly.
Regular use of Gouda contributes to such processes:
- bone regeneration;
- strengthen the skeleton;
- improvement of vision;
- improve skin condition;
- strengthening the nervous system;
- prevent insomnia and chronic fatigue;
- improve brain function;
- normalization of the cardiovascular system;
- increase stress tolerance;
- recovery after physical exertion;
- lower cholesterol;
- improve metabolism.
Contraindications to use
Gouda is not suitable for persons with individual intolerance to this product. Do not advise to use this delicacy (especially aged) people suffering from gastritis, gastric ulcer, hypertension, as well as in the presence of edema. Gouda is quite high-calorie and fatty food, so the abuse of cheese can cause weight gain.
Holland is the birthplace of many cheese products. One of them is Gouda, which is one of the three most popular cheeses in the world. It is second only to cheddar and mozzarella with its glory. But, it seems, the Dutch are not upset: they are proud of their cheese masterpiece and are not afraid of competition. Maybe that’s why they don’t patent their gouda because they are sure that no one will do it better than the Dutch!