It's too Gouda be True!

Bendy, rubbery, tasteless... or quite the antithesis?

Gouda, or if I were pronouncing it true to its heritage, ‘Howda’. 3 years ago, I considered Gouda in a similar way that my fiery Parisian friend might consider cheddar. She scorns it, denounces it as tasteless. Obscenities are thrown. Sacré Bleu… it takes courage on my part to try and convince her otherwise. But that is because she hasn’t had a taste of the great West Country Farmhouse Cheddars, that have such abundance of flavour and texture. Cheddar, like Gouda, isn’t a protected name, allowing for very mediocre versions to be made, whenever & wherever it floats one’s boat.

And my opinion of Gouda was equally scorning. I considered it a bit rubbery, bendy, and altogether, boring. That was until I began my cheesemongering work at The Fine Cheese Co. Ominously looking down on me, highest on the shelf, was the V.S.O.P 2-years-aged Gouda. Impenetrable with the cheese wire, and a considerable feat to remain uninjured in the cutting process, I confess to eating humble pie that day. Bendy, rubbery, tasteless? This was quite the antithesis; rock solid, an incredible crunch, and a beautiful depth of flavour which had shocking sharpness, meatiness, and the characteristic butter & honey notes.

And it is this distinct sweetness that makes Gouda a real crowd-pleaser. But where does this signature taste come from? There is a specific process in the making of Gouda, known as ‘washing the curd’. Quite simply, it is replacing a certain portion of the whey with hot water. Thus, the lactose diminishes, lowering the acidity level, and the sugars triumph.

Lest we forget Holland, the birthplace of this irrepressible cheese, embark on a journey to the city of Gouda (the place where Gouda was distributed, NOT originally made), and you will be greeted with a quaint and jovial scene; row-upon-row of huge wheels of gouda delivered by horse & cart, clogs as shoes, and a cacophony of claps to verbalise each sale. A snapshot in time. It is now a bit more fun (what is your weight in cheese?), but originally practicality was foremost on the list. A trip to the market was a bit like an outing to the doctors… farmers could find out how much their cheese weighed, have a routine check, and find out how much they would owe in tax.

It’s all too gouda be true!