# Is there any real difference between Gouda and Edam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598 "2019-05-07T03:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/1 "2019-05-07T03:17:30Z")
The two most famous Dutch cheeses. Both made from cows milk. Taste identical. Is this some scurrilous Dutchman scam to market one cheese as two? Or am I missing a subtle flavor difference? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/2 "2019-05-07T03:57:42Z")
It appears that [there are some differences in the formulation](https://www.wisconsincheeseman.com/c/cheese/specialty/gouda-edam/) (Edam is made with part-skim milk), but they are similar enough that they’re both used very similarly (even interchangeably). ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/3 "2019-05-07T04:04:49Z")
Is there such a thing as Old Edam? Old Gouda is very nice, similar to other hard cheeses such as Parmesan. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/4 "2019-05-07T11:33:54Z")
They’re pretty much of a muchness. There’s probably more variety between different Goudas or Edams than there is between Gouda as a class and Edam as a class. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/5 "2019-05-07T12:20:15Z")
The difference is that Edam cheese is made backwards. Ancient Dutch joke, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/6 "2019-05-07T12:27:46Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The difference is that Edam cheese is made backwards. > > Ancient Dutch joke, huh? Edammer kaas wordt achterwaarts gemaakt? Maybe not . . . Q de Mercotijn weighing in. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/7 "2019-05-07T13:27:50Z")
Gouda is from Gouda, and Edam is from Edam. Duh. In all seriousness, there seem to be very small production differences, but they’re very similar- my conception is that they’re a lot like Brie vs. Camembert. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/8 "2019-05-07T13:36:26Z")
Edam is dam’ good, and Gouda is no damn goud. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/9 "2019-05-07T14:53:31Z")
> [@bump](#): > > they’re very similar […] like Brie vs. Camembert. Them’s fighting words… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/10 "2019-05-07T14:55:51Z")
I appreciate the cheese jokes as much as the informational posts. So it looks like the main difference is that Edam has slightly less butterfat, huh? I wonder if the towns of Gouda and Edam have intense intercity rivalries, like Harvard and Yale and Macy’s and Gimbel’s. “You enjoyed that fondue? HAH! It’s was full of…GOUDA.” As for Camembert vs. Brie, I prefer the former because when I lived in Paris in 1980 it was much more prevalent in restaurants and bistros. It was my real start on semi soft cheeses. The United States Brie Frenzy was still a few years off. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/11 "2019-05-07T15:02:17Z")
There’s so many cheeses that are essentially interchangeable to me out there that I don’t find it specific to Gouda vs Edam. That said, as mentioned above, I’ve never seen an aged Edam. Is that a thing? But aged Gouda (at about 5 years) is my absolute favorite aged cheese. If all you know is young Gouda, you really need to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/12 "2019-05-07T15:11:12Z")
Yes to aged Gouda. I also like smoked Gouda, and I’m not partial to most smoked cheeses. Edam I have only seen sold young and fresh, with a slight blush to its naughty cheeks. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/13 "2019-05-07T15:14:03Z")
In the U.S., according to federal regulations (21 CFR 133) the difference between Edam and Gouda is Edam has a minimum milkfat content of 40% and Gouda has a minimum of 46%. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/14 "2019-05-07T15:19:30Z")
Gouda is a lovely little town, picture perfect for frittering away a lazy afternoon of cafes, crisp, cold Dutch pilsners and a bit of sightseeing, (and naturally, cheese tasting) but it is a TINY little town, you can walk from tip to tail in a few minutes, although Wikipedia says that over 70,000 people live there, I can’t see how that is possible. The stained glass windows of St. Jans Kerk are stunning, and well worth the 25 or 30 minute train ridefrom Den Haag or Rotterdam. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/15 "2019-05-07T15:42:02Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Them’s fighting words… I didn’t say they were the exact same, just that they’re very similar, like those two cheeses. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/16 "2019-05-07T15:49:51Z")
Going with how it’s marketed in the UK, Gouda has a slightly stronger taste than Edam (2 out of 5 versus 1 out of 5). I imagine that with 2 pieces from the same brand, in a side-by-side test, the Gouda would taste stronger. However, I doubt I’d be able to identify which was which in a blind test of a single piece. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/17 "2019-05-07T16:18:32Z")
A friend brought me a quarter pound of 7 year old gouda back from the Netherlands once. OMG, that was a divine bit of kaas! Right up there in flavor with my elder cheddars . . . ---
**Author:** ![ch51](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ch51/32/3111_2.png) [@ch51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ch51)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/18 "2019-05-07T16:18:44Z")
The one that starts with “E” is much more likely to be pronounced correctly (close anyway) than the one that starts with “G”. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/19 "2019-05-07T19:19:09Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I wonder if the towns of Gouda and Edam have intense intercity rivalries, like Harvard and Yale and Macy’s and Gimbel’s. Springfield vs. Shelbyville, and the lemon tree theft… ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598/20 "2019-05-07T19:35:54Z")
I like to Edam both because they’re so Gouda. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-difference-between-gouda-and-edam/833598.md?page=2)