Gouda and Related Cheeses

Gouda cheese and related cheeses (e.g., Edam) are the main representatives of ripened, semihard cheeses, produced from washed curd. The cheeses originate from the Netherlands, which is the world's largest producer, and typically contain 40%-50% fat in dry matter (dm), 53%-63% moisture in fat-free dm, 2.5-3.5 salt in dm, pH 4.9-5.6. Ripening takes 4 weeks to >1 year, either naturally or in foil. Essential steps in production are standardization, heating and bactofugation of milk, renneting, curd washing, scalding, drainage, pressing, and brining. Mixed-strain (bulk) starters (mesophilic lactococci, leuconostoc) are used for acidification, which largely occurs in the pressed curd. During ripening, considerable proteolysis occurs in Gouda cheese and CO₂ is produced from citric acid. Pathways for flavor, texture, and eye formation in Gouda-type cheese have been identified and are used to produce cheeses with widely varying flavor profiles, fat, and salt contents in modern cheese factories.