Eggs & dairy · Hard cheeses
Gouda
Dutch cow's-milk cheese, mild and supple when young, caramel-sweet and crunchy when aged.
Also called: gouda cheese, queijo flamengo, young gouda
Around the world: Goudse kaas (nl) · queijo flamengo (pt)
A kind of cheese
Photo: Alpha.prim, via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)
What it is
Gouda is a round, waxed cow's-milk cheese from the Netherlands. Young gouda is pale, smooth and mild, good for slicing and melting; aged gouda becomes amber, firm and crystalline with butterscotch notes. It is creamier and higher in fat than its cousin Edam.
How it’s used
- Sandwiches, toasties and burgers
- Melting into sauces and bakes
- Snacking and cheese boards
- Grating aged gouda over salads and soups
Characteristics
- Taste
- Mild and buttery when young; sweet, nutty and caramel-like when aged.
- Texture
- Supple when young; firm and crunchy when aged.
- When cooked
- Young gouda melts evenly; aged gouda melts less and is better grated.
- Sold as
- fermented
- Cooking uses
- Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking
- Common in
- Dutch, Belgian, Portuguese, Brazilian, German
Storage
Refrigerated. Keep wrapped in waxed or baking paper; the wax rind protects uncut wheels.
Diet, allergens and safety
Contains Milk.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
- Contains milk (allergen).
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 356 kcal
- Protein
- 24.94 g
- Carbohydrate
- 2.22 g
- Fat
- 27.44 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sugars
- 2.22 g
USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, gouda.
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- Edam cheese — 1:1; slightly drier and milder.
- Cheddar — 1:1 when melting; sharper.
Related ingredients
Recipes with gouda
Francesinha
Portuguese · 55 min · 756 kcal
More hard cheeses
Hard cheeses
Cheddar
Firm cow's-milk cheese from mild to extra-mature and sharp; the classic melter for toasties, sauces and bakes.
21 recipes
Hard cheeses
Parmesan
Hard, granular aged Italian cow's-milk cheese grated over pasta, risotto, soups and salads.
50 recipes
Hard cheeses
Pecorino Romano
Hard, salty Roman sheep's-milk grating cheese, essential for cacio e pepe, carbonara and amatriciana.
10 recipes
Hard cheeses
Gruyère
Nutty Swiss Alpine cheese that melts smoothly; for fondue, French onion soup, gratins and croque monsieur.
12 recipes
Hard cheeses
Swiss cheese
Mild, nutty pale-yellow cheese with large holes, in the Emmental style; for sandwiches and melting.
5 recipes
Hard cheeses
Raclette cheese
Swiss and French Alpine cow's-milk cheese made for melting and scraping over potatoes and pickles.
1 recipe
Hard cheeses
Edam cheese
Mild, firm Dutch cow's-milk cheese in a red wax coat, lower in fat than gouda.
1 recipe
Hard cheeses
Provolone
Italian stretched-curd cow's-milk cheese, mild (dolce) or sharp (piccante), for sandwiches and melting.
2 recipes