If gouda cheese has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 23 recipes to try it in.

What is gouda cheese?

Gouda is the Netherlands' most famous cheese, a cow's-milk cheese named for the market town of Gouda where it was traded for centuries. You know it by its round wheels in red or yellow wax, sold everywhere from the supermarket to the Dutch farmers' market.

Young gouda is pale and springy, mild with a gentle buttery sweetness. Left to age for a year or more it changes completely, turning deep amber and firm, almost butterscotch-sweet, shot through with tiny crunchy crystals.

That huge swing from soft and mild to hard and caramel-like is the first thing to understand about gouda.

Cooking with gouda

Young gouda is a clean, easy melter. It softens into a smooth layer without much fuss, which makes it a friendly choice for grilled cheese and gratins, or melted inside Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Smoked Gouda.

Smoked gouda is its own thing, the wax replaced by a tan, smoke-cured rind and a woodsy flavor that survives baking. A little goes a long way in a Twice Baked Potatoes with Gouda & Pesto.

Aged gouda behaves differently. The longer it sits, the drier and more concentrated it gets, so very old gouda grates more than it melts and brings a sweet, nutty depth to a sauce or soup like a Boerenkass Soup (Dutch Cheese Soup).

As with most cheese, melt young gouda low and slow for a smooth result, and grate it from a block rather than buying it pre-shredded.

Pairing and common mistakes

Gouda's sweetness makes it a natural with fruit and nuts. Apples, pears, figs, and walnuts all play off it, and aged gouda is a classic match with a dark beer or a glass of port on a cheese board.

The most common mistake is reaching for the wrong age. Young mild gouda melts beautifully but tastes faint, while aged gouda packs huge flavor but turns grainy if you try to melt it into a smooth sauce. Pick young for melting, aged for grating and snacking.

The other slip is treating smoked gouda like the plain kind. Its smoke can dominate a delicate dish, so use less than you would of regular gouda and taste as you go.

Substitutes

For young gouda's easy melt, mild cheddar or a young Edam steps in cleanly, Edam being its leaner Dutch cousin.

Both give you the smooth melt with a little more tang.

For aged gouda's sweet, crystalline punch, there is no exact match, but a well-aged gruyere brings a similar nutty depth, and a chunk of parmesan covers the savory, grating role with more salt.

When a recipe wants smoked gouda specifically, smoked cheddar or smoked provolone gets you the same woodsy note. Failing that, a pinch of smoked paprika in plain gouda fakes the flavor in a sauce.

Buying and storing gouda

Decide young or aged before you buy. Young gouda feels supple and bends a little; aged gouda is hard and dark, and may show white crunchy crystals, which are a sign of good aging, not spoilage.

Wax-coated wheels keep the cheese well, but once you cut in, the cut face needs care. Wrap it in wax paper or parchment, then loosely in foil. Store it in the warmest part of the fridge.

Young gouda is best within two weeks, while a hard aged wedge holds a month or more thanks to its low moisture.

Aged gouda freezes acceptably for cooking, coming back drier and better grated than sliced. If a little surface mold appears on a hard wedge, cut an inch around and below it and use the rest.

Quick facts

Where to find gouda cheese: Gouda cheese is usually found in the cheeses section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

豪达奶酪

British (UK) term

Gouda cheese

en français

fromage gouda

en español

queso gouda

Recipes using gouda cheese

There are 23 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 23 recipes