🇳🇱 Dutch cheeses

The Netherlands made 971,000 tonnes of cheese in 2024, mostly Gouda, about 9 % of EU cheese and fifth place in the Union. ⁵⁶ Seven Dutch cheese names are protected in the EU: four PDO and three PGI. Nearly all are made from cow's milk, but there is also a Dutch goat's cheese and a farmhouse Leiden cheese with cumin. ¹

History. The registration file of Boeren-Leidse met sleutels cites a handbook stating that cheese was sent from Holland to Paris as early as 1184 and that Dutch cheeses were named after their market towns: Edam after Edam, Gouda after Gouda. ¹² The Gouda Holland specification adds that Dutch cheesemaking matured in the 17th-century Golden Age and that the cheese sold in Gouda has been called Gouda since the 18th century. ⁷

Cheese markets. Alkmaar received weighing rights in 1365, its cheese porters' guild was founded in 1593, and the market is certainly documented from 1622. Today it runs on Fridays from 10:00 to 13:00 on the Waagplein: porters carry eight cheeses of 13 kg on a barrow, the cheeses are weighed in the weigh house and traders bargain over the price. ¹³ In Edam, cheese markets are held on Wednesday mornings in July and August. ¹⁴

Gouda. Gouda Holland is a flattened cylinder, block or loaf of 2.5–20 kg with 48–52 % fat in dry matter, made only from the milk of Dutch farms and matured naturally for at least 28 days at 12 °C or above, without foil. Each cheese receives a casein mark with a unique code before pressing, and the EU PGI logo is mandatory. ⁷⁴ Noord-Hollandse Gouda is made only from North Holland milk and is less salty. ⁸ The word Gouda itself is free.

Edam. Edam is leaner, with 40–44 % fat in dry matter. Edam Holland is mostly a flattened ball of 1.5–2.5 kg matured for at least 28 days; it also comes as a block or loaf of up to 20 kg. ⁹ Noord-Hollandse Edammer weighs 1.7–1.9 kg and is made only from North Holland milk. ¹⁰

Leiden cheese with keys. Boeren-Leidse met sleutels is a semi-hard farmhouse cheese of semi-skimmed, unpasteurised milk with 30–40 % fat in dry matter. About 75 g of cumin is added per 100 litres of milk, the cheese is stamped with the two crossed keys of Leiden, kept in brine for five or six days, and its rind is coloured red with annatto. Cheeses of 3 kg or more mature for at least 13 days at 12 °C or above. The makers' association dates from 28 October 1927, and the area around Leiden covers about 215,000 ha. ¹²

Other names. Kanterkaas is registered in three forms: plain, with cloves (Kanternagelkaas) and with cumin (Kanterkomijnekaas). ¹ Hollandse geitenkaas is made much like Gouda, but from the goat's milk of Dutch holdings; it weighs 1.5–20 kg, has 50–60 % fat in dry matter, ripens for at least 25 days and may contain nettle, fenugreek, thyme or tomato. ¹¹ Maasdam, with its large holes, has no protected name. The sector body ZuivelNL brings together Dutch dairy farmers and processors. ³

Market and nutrition. In 2024 Dutch dairy exports rose by 10 % to €11.39 billion, while cheese production fell by almost 2 %. ⁵ According to USDA, 100 g of Gouda contains 356 kcal, 24.9 g of protein, 27.4 g of fat, of which 17.6 g saturated, 700 mg of calcium and 819 mg of sodium. ¹⁵

Dutch cheese or just Gouda? The words Gouda and Edam are free, so such cheese is made all over the world, while Gouda Holland and Edam Holland (PGI) and the North Holland names (PDO) mean Dutch cheese made to a specification. Gouda Holland ripens naturally for at least 28 days at 12 °C or above, without foil, and carries a casein mark with a unique code. Noord-Hollandse Gouda is less salty. Edam is the leaner of the two.

Read the full name, not only “Gouda” or “Edam”: Gouda Holland and Edam Holland carry the EU PGI logo (protected geographical indication), and Noord-Hollandse Gouda and Edammer the PDO logo. A Gouda Holland also has a casein mark with a unique code. Foil ripening is banned for Gouda Holland and Edam Holland. You will find these cheeses at a supermarket cheese counter or a delicatessen, as wedges or whole rounds.

Why it matters to you. The words Gouda and Edam are free, so such cheese is made all over the world; only the full names with the PGI or PDO mark under EU law guarantee origin. ² Foil ripening is allowed for Dutch goat's cheese but banned for Gouda Holland and Edam Holland. ⁷⁹¹¹ 100 g of Gouda contains 819 mg of sodium, and WHO advises adults to stay below 2000 mg a day. ¹⁵¹⁶