Cheese: a delicious Dutch delicacy!

October 30, 2015

It has a delicious, full taste, beautiful golden colour and the Dutch are known for making it. I am of course talking about Dutch cheese! This month we will find out why Dutch cheese caught the attention of the Roman general Julius Caesar.

One of the centuries’ old traditions in Holland is making cheese. Nowadays, Holland’s cheese is the most exported cheese in the world and it is also the fourth largest country of producing cheese; it produces more than 1430 million pounds (650 million kg) of cheese a year of which Gouda cheese represents about 60%. To produce 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of cheese, 10 litres of milk is needed. This means that for the annual production of cheese, around 6500 million litres of milk is needed.

Holland is known for its variety of cheeses and the average Dutch person eats around 45 pounds (20 kg) of cheese yearly. Most people have heard of Gouda and Edam cheese, but there are so many other Dutch cheeses with different flavours and textures. As an example, Maasdammer has a nutty taste and is dome shaped with large holes. Next to cow’s cheese, Holland also makes cheeses from other types of animals such as from goat’s milk. Goat’s cheese in Holland comes in two types: soft, fresh cheese and a semi-hard, cured version that is much like Gouda. Other varieties of Dutch cheese include Boerenkaas (Farmers cheese; made of raw milk), Smoked Cheese, Leidse Cheese and Frisian Clove Cheese.

Although cheese is nice as snack, melted over food or sprinkled over a plate of pasta, most Dutch people still eat cheese on bread, preferably with some mustard.

Where can you enjoy the delicious Dutch cheese?

  • Cheese museum and market in Alkmaar
  • Cheese market in Gouda
  • Cheese museum in Bodegraven
  • Alida Hoeve, Catharina Hoeve and Jacobs Hoeve; three cheese farms close to Amsterdam
  • One of the 300+ farms in Holland making cheese

Visit Holland on a short break and experience the true essence of Dutch culture for yourself! Find out more from Holland.com here!

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