TKF Science Writing

History and Origin

Gouda is a semi-soft cheese made primarily from cow’s milk and is named from the town of its origin in the South Holland region of the Netherlands.  In researching the origin of Gouda, some say that it dates back to 1697.  Farmers from the region would bring their cheese to the market and eventually, the cheese adopted the name from which it came.  

How Gouda is Made

The cow’s milk is cultured and heated until the curd is separated from the whey.  Curd is the part of milk that coagulates as seen when putting sour milk into a cup of coffee.  The whey or milk plasma is the liquid portion leftover after the curd has been strained.  The curd is then “washed” by adding hot water.  This separates out more whey from the curd.  The resulting mixture is pressed into circular moulds and soaked in a brine solution.  Eventually, a rind will form.  After soaking, the cheese is dried then coated to prevent dehydration and then allowed to ripen.

Taste

A very complex tasting cheese, Gouda meshes salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami (meaty or savory) flavors all in one tasty bite.  It also exhibits a fifth and not well-known flavor profile described as having mouthfullness, thickness, and a complex body.  This flabor profile is due to the presence of what are called Kokumi compounds.

Kokumi Sensation

Termed by the Japanese, Kokumi compounds generate the Kokumi sensation, which is a Japanese word used to describe deliciousness.  More succintly, it describes the continuity and roundness of a particular food.  Scientists in Munich, Germany, in a recent journal article from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry were seeking to unlock the flavor secrets of these compounds as it relates to Gouda cheese.

To start, the scientists chose two Gouda subjects of different ripeness; a 44-week and a 4-week cheese .  Their goal was to understand and apply biological principles that give rise to Gouda’s unique flavors by separating components and attempting to recombine them synthetically.  The results of the synthetically re-combined product was measured against the original components in natural Gouda.  They did this by focusing on the small-molecule metabolite profiles recognized by our taste sensors.

Senses

The four sensory tastes (bitterness, sweetness, sourness, and umami) were recognized previously in different studies of cheese.  Calcium and magnesium chloride were found to give rise to bitterness along with amino acids.  Lactic acid and hydrogen phosphate brought out a sour taste.  Sodium chloride and sodium phosphate were culpable for the salty sensation.  Lastly, Unami, the meaty or savory sensation was a result of monosodium L-glutamate and sodium lactate.

Results

The scientists found that tasters preferred and noticed a more pronounced mouthfullness, thickness, and a complex body in the natural 44-week subject more than the artificial re-combinant.  This lead scientists to believe that the Kokumi compounds and subsequent sensation are generated through the ripening process and that re-creating that taste may be a difficult endeavour.  In any event, to get the full Gouda flavor, for now, your best bet is to visit your local cheese shop.