Gouda

Gouda owes its name recognition mainly to five products: cheese, candles, earthenware, stroopwafels and pipes. The most famous product from Gouda is undoubtedly the Gouda cheese. Since the Middle Ages, cheeses made in farms in the region have been traded at the weekly market in Gouda. In the 16th century, a real 'cheese war' raged between Schoonhoven and Gouda when Emperor Charles V gave Schoonhoven permission to trade cheese. After a protracted conflict, Gouda came out on top. The cheese markets took place in Gouda until well into the 20th century. The full-fat cheese owes its name to the fact that it was traded in Gouda, with the city council taking care of quality control. The cheeses were weighed in the Waag. With the rise of dairies, this market lost its significance. Now there is only a cheese market that is maintained by tourism. The generic name and shape of the Gouda cheese are not protected, which means that many cheeses that are sold as 'Gouda cheese' are actually made elsewhere.

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