The Gouda Life

September 22, 2017

Famous, of course, for its windmills, clogs, exquisite art and notable architecture, Holland certainly provides a lot of iconic imagery. Dutch cheese is renowned worldwide for its flavour, texture and history and the capital is the perfect place to get a taste of all manner of Dutch cheeses.

  1. Fondue & Fondue

This interesting cheese-centric eatery near Vondelpark combines rustic homeliness with modern accents. Make the impossible decision between the cheese and the truffle cheese fondue. Each is served with veggies, bread and salad. If there’s room, get dipping again with the chocolate fondue, served with marshmallows and fruit.

 

  1. De Kaaskamer van Amsterdam

Although there are a lot of cheese shops in the city centre, this authentic shop is the perfect place to pick up a pungent farmer’s kaas, or a more gentle flavour. Whatever your taste, you’ll find it at The Cheeseroom of Amsterdam.

 

  1. Beemster Cheese

A hard cheese made from Dutch cow’s milk, this cheese is famous for its very particular production. The cows feed on grass grown on sea-clay, the curd is stirred by hand and the cheese is aged on wooden boards, all adding to its unique flavour.

 

  1. Limburger Cheese

Limburger, a cheese known for making nostril-hairs curl, is a potent 19th century cheese that is not for the faint-hearted. The cause for the smell isn’t too great either. It’s because of a bacterium that is used to ferment it, the same bacterium, in fact, that causes body odour… If you can get passed that, however, the taste is excellent.

 

  1. Gouda and Edam

The classics, and the best way to ease you in if you’re new to the cheese game. Both are typically in wheel form, preserved in wax and named after their native towns. Edam doesn’t spoil and ages magnificently, hence why it was popular from the 14th-18th centuries. Gouda is one of the oldest cheeses still in production, first recorded in 1184. It’s very rich and, like Edam, develops with age.

 

  1. Kaassoufflé

This breaded pastry stuffed with melted cheese is a staple Dutch snack. FEBO provides it in both regular and mini size, stuffing it with spicy cheese for a kick. Available at 28 FEBO locations across Amsterdam, pick up your kaassoufflé from one of their vending machines for cheap, fast food that hits the spot.

 

  1. Old Amsterdam Cheese Snacks

Tiny cubes of pre-packaged cheese give you your dairy fix, making it the ideal quick bite when sightseeing in the city. They’re available to purchase in the Old Amsterdam Cheese Store or the Golden Age Cheese Store, so why not swap your regular snack for this rather eccentric option?

 

  1. Cheese Museum

Known for its eclectic and interesting museums, it’s not surprising that Amsterdam has one entirely dedicated to cheese. Situated on the canal, just across from the Anne Frank Museum, it’s a shop on top with a modest museum below. Artefacts and small exhibitions demonstrate traditional Dutch cheese making and more.

 

  1. Kaasstengels

Literally translating to ‘cheese sticks’, this Dutch-Indonesian treat is a favourite in both the Netherlands and Indonesia, given Dutch colonialism in the East. Pick them up in Café Kale, a Dutch diner serving a number of cheesy choices. There’s the kaaspankje (cheese plank) and Oma Bob’s rucola-kaaskroketjes (cheese cakes, which sound delicious).

 

  1. Cheese tasting

Several options present themselves to anyone looking to do a cheese tasting session. Henri Willig’s taster includes a film on cheese making, and a beer or wine. The Reypenaer Tasting Room offers an interesting cheese tasting/ canal cruise combo that packs in plenty of Dutch culture. Either way, you’re spoiled for choice.

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