Dutch Cuisine : Cheese, a favourite food of the Netherlands

Thu, Nov 8th 2007, 00:00

If there is one country in the world known for its cheese, its the Netherlands.


Still to this day, weekly cheese markets are held in certain Dutch cities. These cities still have their cheese weighhouses, splendid 16th or 17th Century buildings where in bygone days cheese producers had their cheeses inspected by the weighmasters before they could sell it.

The Netherlands is famous for their mainly semi-hard or hard cheeses. These are often flavoured with cloves, cumin, or caraway. Gouda is one such cheese named after the Dutch country town just southeast of The Hague. Each week during the summer, a cheese market is still held three, in front of the weighhouse dating from 1668.

More than half of the entire Dutch cheese production is devoted to Gouda and its varieties. Traditionally, Gouda is wheel shaped, with a mild and creamy flavour. It is produced in both young and mature versions.

Edam, in the province of North Holland, used to be the centre of Dutch cheese exports. These days Edam cheese is produced all over Holland.

Edam is made from skimmed milk and has a distinctive round shape and red colour (obtained by dipping or spraying the cheese with wax to give the cheese a protective coating).

An orange wax coating denotes Edam mixed with cumin seeds which gives it a spicy and aromatic flavour. Green waxed Edam has garden herbs.

Edam cheese is sold when approximately 6 weeks old and is appreciated for its mild flavour and smooth texture. However, when Edam ages the flavour becomes more robust. The mature version is dipped in black wax.

KaasDoop (cheese dip) is the Dutch equivalent of a cheese fondue, a typical meal in the midwest province of South Holland. The cheese is flavoured with brandy, pepper and nutmeg and dark brown bread is used for dipping.

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