Gouda is a Dutch cheese that is one of the most popular cheeses in the world. It is a semi-hard cheese that is known for its smooth, creamy, and rich flavor. It has a pungent aroma and is most often yellow with a waxed rind. Gouda is categorized into seven types, separated by how long it has been aged. In the United States, a smoother and less flavorful Gouda is preferred, while the Dutch favor fuller flavors. Younger Goudas are often paired with beers, while aged Goudas go well with wine.
The object’s origin is the Netherlands, and it was named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. It is located in food stores all across the world, representing up to fifty to sixty percent of global cheese consumption. The creation of this particular type of cheese dates back to 1184, so it is possible that those who originally came to America brought the cheese, or the method of making the cheese, with them. The Dutch people are the primary creators of Gouda, which is traditionally made from the milk of cows, but can be made with the milk of goats or sheep (such practice is especially popular among Dutch artisans in the Netherlands). The potential way in which Gouda cheese arrived in America shows how the Dutch people brought many foods, inventions, and ideas with them when they settled in the American Northeast, all of which influence what is currently manufactured and practiced.
loading map - please wait...
We picked Gouda cheese as our Dutch artifact because today it is a very popular cheese in America and worldwide. Gouda cheese, though somewhat ubiquitous in food culture of many countries, demonstrates that as a nation, we participate in the global influence that the Dutch have, and relish in consuming and utilizing the goods and ideas that this influence has produced.
Due to this popularity, people today have developed several varieties of the cheese, such as Graskaas, a cheese eaten within weeks, and Overjarig, a cheese aged to change its flavor and texture. Today in America, a commercial form of Gouda that is smoother and less flavorful than traditional Dutch Gouda is what is most popular. According to Sylvie Tremblay on Livestrong.com, a popular health and fitness blog, “Each serving of Gouda — 1.5 ounces — contains 151 calories, or approximately 8 percent of the daily calorie intake in a standard 2,000-calorie diet…Gouda also contains a moderate amount of protein — 10.6 grams, which is 23 percent of the daily protein needs for women and 19 percent for men.”
By: Raymond Cabrera, Nicolo Florendo, Anthony Miranda, Samuel Wu
Sources:
“Gouda – Cheese.com.” Gouda – Cheese.com. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Admin. “FACT OF THE WEEK – GOUDA CHEESE.” Top Food Facts. 15 Feb. 2015. Web.
Tremblay, Sylvie. “Is Gouda Cheese Healthy?” Livestrong.com. 03 Jun. 2015. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.