The Gouda cheese reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Gouda cheese

Sponsorship the way you would do it
Gouda
Production Area??
MilkCow
Pasteurizedusually
Texturesolid
Fat content> 29%
(48% by dry weight)
Protein contentapprox. ??%
Dimensions/weightapprox. 35 cm dia x 10 cm thick/15 kg
Aging time4 weeks - 18 months
Certification??

Gouda cheese is a yellow Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda. The cheese is made from cow's milk that is cultured and heated up until the curds separate from the whey. About 10% of the mixture is curds which are pressed into circular moulds for a couple of hours. The moulds give the cheese its traditional shape. Next, the cheese is soaked in a brine solution which gives the cheese its rind and improves the taste. After the salt soaks in, the cheese is then dried for a couple days before being coated to prevent it from drying out. The cheese then ages for at least a couple weeks before it is ready to eat. The term "Gouda cheese" is nowadays a generic name, not restricted to products of Dutch origin.

See also: List of cheeses