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Gouda is a city in the western Netherlands,
in the province of South Holland. Gouda was granted city rights
in 1272 and is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes and
its 15th century city hall. The town takes its name from the
Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside
the banks of the Gouwe River. Gouda's array of historic churches
and other buildings makes it a very popular tourist destination.
Gouda is a yellow cheese made from cow's milk that is cultured
and heated until the curd is separate from the whey. Some of
the whey is then drained, and water is added. This is called
"washing the curd", and creates a sweeter cheese, as
the washing removes some of the lactic acid. Exported Gouda has
two varieties, the young Gouda cheese aged between 1 and 6 months,
is a yellow colour with a red or yellow paraffin wax coating.
Exported Gouda has aged more, has a bitter taste and a black
paraffin wax coating. |
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