Gouda Holland PGI
Gouda Holland PGI cheese from the Netherlands is an aromatic cheese that can be mild or intense, depending on its age. The older the cheese variety, the stronger and saltier it gets. A young cheese has a maturation process of approximately a month whereas as mature cheese will have a maturation process closer to a year. It is traditionally made from unpasteurised cow’s milk and coated in a yellow wax that prevents it from drying out during its maturation.
In the Netherlands, cubes of Gouda Holland PGI are often eaten as a snack served with Dutch mustard. Older and therefore stronger flavoured varieties are sometimes topped with sugar or apple butter. It can be eaten with fruit and bread on a cheese platter, or is simply delicious in a sandwich with some crunchy lettuce.
The cheese gets its name from the city of Gouda not because it was made there but because it was traded there in the Middle Ages. It has been made since at least 1184, making it one of the oldest recorded cheeses still being crafted today.
