Good Gouda: Not Just for Dutching, But for Eating too!

When in Holland, do as the Dutch do. In other words, eat cheese. But not the rubbery Kraft kind that many American children find glued to the deli meat centers of their crust-stripped sandwiches packed by their parents before school. Instead of arriving in neat stacks of palm-sized, plastic-covered squares in the refrigerated section of Safeway, traditional Dutch cheese is covered in wax, sitting in wheels on dry shelves awaiting consumption by palettes preferring stronger flavors over the typically creamier, easily-melted processed types of Cheddar, Jack and American cheeses.

Although taste varies on an individual basis, and as such, it is neither possible nor fair to generalize the palettes of all Dutch and all Americans into simply preferring either aged gouda  or Kraft cheddar, the Dutch have historically been producing and perfecting cheese for much longer than their American counterparts, leading to the emergence of a remarkable dairy culture of crafting exquisite and terrific cheese. Though Italian and French cheeses may also be well known for its refinement, Dutch cheese is both popular worldwide and intricately interwoven into the history and identity of the Netherlands region.  With Holland’s lush green pastures, its famous cheese is as much a part of their national culture as tulips and windmills. Upon arriving to Amsterdam I formed a personal priority of seeking out traditional cheeses  as a way of experiencing not only the deliciously quintessential Dutch staple, but also a pastoral tradition that has been handed down through generations.

Amsterdam hosts a whole world of gourmet cheeses that thankfully do not taste like boring rubber. Growing up in a traditional Chinese-American household, I  initially experienced cheese only as either a greasy pizza topping or a squishy white, flavorless schoolyard snack that comes in limp, pull-apart sticks. Amsterdam has shown me a plethora of richer, more complex and more worthwhile cheeses than the mild mozzarella often consumed in The United States.  Roaming through Amsterdam Centrum in search of the stinkiest, hardest, sharpest types to nibble on, I looked for the little that will go a long way, and in the process lost myself in a fabulous gastronomic journey of bitter, sour, tart, salty and creamy chunks of coagulated milk.

The Henri Willig Kaas Cheese Shop located in Amsterdam Centrum harbored an wide selection of artisanal Dutch cheeses, including edam, maasdammer, goat’s cheese and gouda.  I was struck most by the contrasting flavors of a freshly-smoked gouda and a 15-month aged gouda.  The smoked type was softer than the aged, with a distinct brown casing and pale yellow interior that would look and taste marvelous as a sandwich filling or salad topping.  As a semi-hard cheese with almost 50% milk fat content, it has a mild to tangy taste that intensifies beautifully and grows bolder as it ages. When ripened it becomes aged gouda,  which is saltier and more granular in texture. More easily crumbly and with a translucent, pale off-white appearance, its patient appearance is deceiving. Strong enough to be eaten alone in crumbly shards or with a glass of full-bodied wine, it turned into a vinegary morsel bomb when accompanied by a sharp mustard. I sensed fleeting notes of subtle sweetness, which balanced the immediate saltiness and crunchiness of the partially-formed crystals. Pungent and with an underlying bitterness, this potent cheese tops my list of favorite foods eaten in Amsterdam.

The stark differences in taste and texture in relation to age are due to the varying manufacturing and aging requirements. Pricing reflects the unique production processes;  While the smoked gouda ranged from  €7-€10, aged gouda was €12-18 per block. Gouda grows better with time, and although natural gouda tastes recognizably similar to its elder version,  its personality changes dramatically within a few short months of aging. Just as I have changed in the few short weeks of my first trip to Europe, acquiring new experiences and memories that comprise the person I am and will become, aging gouda grows in complexity and richness with every passing moment. While it is easy to dismay that we all only grow older, aged gouda cheese at the Henri Willig Kaas Cheese Shop is a delicious reminder to embrace the belief that things do get better with age.