Dutch-type cheeses

This chapter discusses three kinds of the Dutch-type cheeses: Edam cheese; Gouda cheese; and Hollandse Geitenkaas (Dutch goat's cheese). Edam cheese is a semi-hard cheese primarily made from pasteurised cow's milk. The flavour of Edam cheese varies with the stage of maturity and the type of starter culture used. A young cheese is generally mild, somewhat acidic/tart and salty. Gouda cheese is usually made from fresh pasteurised partially skimmed cows' milk. Milk for Gouda cheese production is generally in-line bactofugated using specific self-desludging centrifuges, to remove the spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum, a feed-derived microorganism that may cause late blowing defects in Gouda-type cheeses. Hollandse Geitenkaas is made from fresh pasteurised goat's milk of the Dutch White goat and Dutch White goat cross-breeds. The intensity of the goaty flavour in the Hollandse Geitenkaas is generally low; young Hollandse Geitenkaas has a mild flavour profile.