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Dutch Gouda cheese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow’s milk, with seven types ranging from one month to two or more years old. Artisanal cheeses are richer and more flavorful than commercially produced ones. Gouda is used in sauces and pairs well with beer, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, or Shiraz.
Dutch Gouda cheese is famous around the world for its unique rich flavor and smooth texture. Originating from the Dutch village that gave the cheese its name, the Cheese Market in Gouda is one of the last commercial cheese markets in the Netherlands. Gouda is classified as a semi-hard cheese and is typically made from pasteurized cow’s milk, although some artisanal cheese makers do use sheep’s or goat’s milk, particularly for cheeses that will be aged for an extended period of time.
There are seven types of Dutch Gouda, ranging from cheese aged one month to two or more years. Graskaas is a creamy, young gouda that is ready to eat within a few weeks. At the other end of the spectrum is Overjarig, with a hard, golden interior and a richly layered flavor that aficionados describe as salty and somewhat reminiscent of toffee.
Among the new Graskaas and the older Overjarig are Dutch Gouda cheeses classified as Jong, Jong belegen, Belegen, Extra belegen and Oud. These cheeses are progressively closer to the consistency of grated cheese than the previous classification. Hard-core Gouda fans often don’t even want to taste the younger cheeses, arguing that it takes maturity to bring out the complexity of flavors that make Gouda world famous. Novices can identify the younger, softer Dutch Gouda cheeses by their waxy yellow, orange, or red rinds, while the riper, harder varieties are contained in a black waxy coating.
Most North American consumers have probably only tasted commercially produced young Gouda cheeses. These are softer and much less flavorful than the artisanal cheeses still made in the Netherlands. Artisanal Dutch Gouda cheeses might be made from raw milk and pasteurized. Some cheese makers add herbs, seasonings, and nuts for a range of flavors.
In the Netherlands and elsewhere, cooks find the aged richness of Gouda added to sauces, soups and pasta sauces. The flavor of the cheese depends not only on how long it has been aged and what herbs, seasonings, or other types of flavor enhancers have been added, but also whether the wheels have been smoked.
The Dutch prefer to drink beer while munching on less ripe Gouda. Those in the middle of the age range taste best when paired with a fruity Riesling or Chenin Blanc. Well-aged Dutch Gouda cheese is best with aged Chardonnay or a rich Merlot or Shiraz because those wines are deeply flavored and stand up well to the complexity of the cheese.
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