“Holland, the other cheese country”. The slogan of this 90s advertisement has not lost its relevance. On the contrary. With a current production of 750 million kilos per year, the Netherlands has even given the region of producing cities (Alkmaar, Edam, Hoorn, Gouda and Woerden) the nickname of “cheese valley”. Here, the cows find vast grassy grounds thanks to the omnipresence of water. The areas closest to the coast have also been favored by farmers for flowing milk. The town of Gouda (pronounced “Rrrrrouda”) was thus able to take advantage of quality grass in the surrounding farms to create its famous cheese. Beyond purely dairy considerations, this medieval town also deserves a stopover to discover its rich heritage.

The secrets of Holland gouda

In the Netherlands, there is something for all palates: bluefort with its marbled paste, maasdam and leerdam with their holes and their nutty aftertaste. There is also Friesian, Limburg, Kernhem, Subenhara. The two most popular cheeses are edam and gouda, made from cow’s milk. Today there are 1.6 million of these ruminants in the country, almost a cow for ten inhabitants! A necessary number, when you know that to produce a kilo of gouda, you need ten liters of milk.

One of the secrets of good farm cheese is the cooking temperature of milk, below 40 ° C. Another guarantee of quality: maturing. It is practiced on wooden boards, where the humidity contained in the cheese continues to evaporate. The goudas are thus turned regularly (three times a week for the young, once for the old) so as not to stick to the wood and above all to keep a pretty rounded shape.

A young cheese matures 35 days, up to 4 months for a ripened cheese, up to 7 months for an extra ripened cheese, up to 12 months for an “old” cheese. The “extra-old” gouda, called “brokkelkaas “, obtained after some three years of ripening, is reserved for reckless: it bites well in the mouth and crumbles under the knife. We don’t make sandwiches.

To get an idea of the ripening process and taste it on the way, head to the Reypenaer warehouse in the town of Woerden. As soon as the door is crossed, a smell as intoxicating as disgusting takes to the throat. It is the smell of the evaporation of 1,500 cheeses, of a golden color, stored on three floors. Here, the cheeses follow a slimming diet. At the entrance, a 13 or 14 kg cheese only weighs 11 kg a few months later. Hence this charged air, to be cut with a knife.

The cheeses also take on particular flavors depending on the foods that are added in their manufacture. Wyngaard cheese exists in a pepper or tomato version, and, more unexpectedly, ginger. In Gouda, a detour to the ‘t Kaaswinkeltje shop allows you to see a rainbow of cheeses: turquoise blue, bright red, forest green or black like coal.

Dutch cheese, from farm to market

Cheese production in the Netherlands dates back at least to prehistoric times. But only the 19th century, the fame of this local product starts to go around the world. Thank you, the Dutch cows and their high milk yield, by hybridization, the Dutch created a very productive cow, a breed called Holstein-Friesian, recognizable by its skin with white and black spots.

The family farm De Twee Hoeven in Haastrecht is open to guided tours to observe the cheese-making process. We start with the barn, where some 300 cows crowd to be treated in a chain. In adjoining rooms, dominated by the blue color that would chase flies, milk is added lactic ferments and rennet to thicken it.

Then, the milk is separated into pieces thanks to a system of large “blades” which circulate in a basin. It is at this moment that the liquid part (the whey) is separated from the curd, the solid part which will give the cheese. Poured into molds, this part is pressed and then poured into saltwater which allows it to gain taste, but also to be kept longer. Finally, the curd is covered with a protection, paraffin wax or plastic, intended to protect it from mold. And let’s go for the refining.

Before leaving the farm, be sure to savor a fondue prepared without alcohol. You can also go with cheeses whose flavor is enhanced by the addition of herbs, seeds or herbs: garlic, cumin, and even nettle.

From the farm, the cheeses go directly to the market. The cheese markets, organized by the producing cities, are part of the Dutch tradition. That of Woerden takes place every Saturday morning during the summer.

In late May or early June, a cheese celebration starts at the kaaspaskhuis. A small procession of carts, preceded by a local brass band, circles the city center before reaching the main square. This is where a 125 kg cheese put up for auction landed. In 2016, it found a buyer for 23,000 euros, in 2017 and 2018, its price had reached 11,000 and 15,200 euros respectively.

Meanwhile, the crowd sings an ode to cheese. The refrain: “Cheese, cheese, it’s everyone’s boss, nothing is better on your bread and it makes little people big.” Everyone loves cheese, hurray, it is good and fatty. Kindly folk or frankly cheesy, you be the judge.

Gouda: much more than cheese

The most visited cheese market is Gouda, which is held every Thursday during the summer in the main square. However, the city founded in 1272 was not intended for this activity. Before cheese, beer provided regular income. Brewers only had to bend over the wet ground to extract the peat, the ideal fuel for running their machines. Milk was then not widely consumed except by infants and the elderly. But gradually came the idea of transforming milk into cheese, a foodstuff easy to store and sell.

In 1667, the city of Gouda obtained the right to tax cheese. A year later, a building was erected where the cheese was weighed in order to determine the cost of this tax. De Goudse Wag now houses a museum on the second floor and a tasting place on the first. Difficult to miss it is located just behind the town hall. Built in 1450, the latter resembles a floating Gothic island in the middle of an ocean of cobblestones. On one of its sides, there is a balcony, where the prisoners were exhibited to the looks and sputum of passers-by.

Another jewel of Gouda, the Church of St. John, the longest of the Netherlands with its 123 m, has 72 beautiful stained-glass windows of the 16 th century. Its environment offers a dive into history, the city center of Gouda retaining a medieval charm with its interlacing of canals.

Just behind the church, the museum of Gouda has altarpieces of the 16 th century and a collection of French and Dutch paintings from the 19 th century. Nearby, do not hesitate to take a break in the old orphanage (“Weeshuis”), whose shaded courtyard is surrounded by shops and cafes.

A 3.5 km route can be done quietly in the city center in 2 hours, time to visit the premises. Back on the marketplace, we can glean some memories, such as long pipes in Gouda clay which had been the specialty to 17 th century. Inexpensive to produce, they were also very fragile, and therefore disposable. It is enough that the inhabitants of Gouda do gardening to find more pieces.

Finally, in the same square, the small Kamphuisen caramel waffle factory makes your mouth water. Their recipe, passed down from generation to generation since 1810, would be placed in the upstairs safe. For around 10 euros, a 45-minute visit (with tasting) shows how these crunchy and tender pastries are made. Why choose between cheese and dessert?

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