Gouda Cheese
Facts about Gouda CheeseGouda cheese is a popular yellow cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the oldest recorded cheeses in the world and was first mentioned around 1184. Gouda is known to acquire the taste of nuts but a very mild one. Some would even say it carries a fruity flavor with a subtle sweet caramel hint. |
The Process of Making Gouda Cheese
The process of making Gouda cheese is a long and complex labor. The Dutch housewives would be the ones in charge of creating Gouda whereas the husband would pass the cheese-making skill on to their daughters. After going through the process that is called washing the curd, removing the lactose and reducing the lactic acid, the cultured milk turns into a sweeter cheese.
This sweet cheese is left for a couple of days and then becomes dry. The next important process in perfecting Gouda cheese is to make sure to cover it with a yellow coating in order to keep it from drying out too much. At the end, the cheese will gradually change from semi-hard to hard and become the delicious Gouda that we’ve come to love.
A finely-aged Gouda cheese can even be enjoyed on its own. It is a perfect pairing with beer, wine, or whiskey. Remember to store Gouda properly in the refrigerator so it can last up to four months. If it begins to smell unusual and mold starts to appear, then it’s definitely gone bad and should be discarded.