On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The first mention of Gouda cheese dates from 1284, making it one of the oldest recorded cheeses in the world still made today. Cheesemaking traditionally was a woman’s task in Dutch culture, with farmers’ wives passing their cheesemaking skills on to their daughters. The gouda cheese is named after the master of Gouda, not because it was produced in or around that city, but because it was traded there.

Various sources suggest that the term Gouda refers more to a general style of cheesemaking rather than to a specific kind of cheese, pointing to its taste, which varies with age. After cultured milk is curdled, some of the whey is then drained and water is added. This is called “washing the curd”, and creates a sweeter cheese, as the washing removes some of the lactose, resulting in a reduction of lactic acid produced. As it ages, it develops a caramel sweetness and has a slight crunchiness from cheese crystals, especially in older cheeses. In the Netherlands, cubes of Gouda are often eaten as a snack served with Dutch mustard. Older varieties are sometimes topped with sugar or apple butter. Cubes of Gouda are commonly served as a snack along with beer in traditional Dutch Brown Bars.

The term “Gouda” is not restricted to cheese of Dutch origin. European commission confirms protection for Gouda Holland”. Everything You Need To Know About Gouda Cheese”. Alkmaar cheese market – Cheese Bargaining. Frisian Farms Small Batch Gouda: Our Process”. Official Journal of the European Union. Gouda Holland, Edam Holland to get protected status”.

Look up gouda in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. A collection of old pictures and drawings of Gouda. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For the cheese originating from this city, see Gouda cheese.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. In the Middle Ages, a settlement was founded at the location of the current city by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took its name. Around the year 1100, the area where Gouda now is located was swampy and covered with a peat forest, crossed by small creeks such as the Gouwe.