Are you not a fan of Gouda cheese or simply can't get hold of it in the shops? Fret not, here's a list of viable Gouda substitutes.
What is Gouda Cheese?
Gouda cheese is cheese made from cow’s milk, with the Netherlands as its origin. It can be hard or semi-hard (depending on its age) in texture, with a characteristic sweet taste and creamy yellow orange color.
Cheese Production
Gouda processing involves pasteurising the milk, curd forming, curd cutting, releasing the whey, moulding, brining, coating, maturing, and packaging.
There are 7 types of gouda cheeses differentiated by ages, from young to aged gouda cheeses. Besides it can be smoked, further extending its shelf life and enriching its flavour, texture, and taste.
Gouda Cheese Pairings
Both non-smoked and smoked gouda can be eaten in cheese sauces (like mac and cheese), pizzas, sandwiches, salads, with pasta, with crackers, with fruits and wine (like white wine).
Health benefits of gouda cheese
Good for bones and teeth
It has a high calcium content of 700mg per 100g, and calcium is essential for both the formation and metabolism of good bone and tooth tissues (2, 3).
Vitamin K2 content
Gouda is rich in vitamins K2 or menaquinone (about 390 - 480 µg/100 g) which reduces the risk for coronary heart disease and arterial stiffness in clinical trials (4, 5).
Rich source of probiotic bacteria
Gouda is a good source of probiotic bacteria like Lactobacillus, which boost the body’s immune system as they protect the body from pathogenic bacteria (6).
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Low levels of lactose
Gouda cheese contains low levels of lactose (0 – 0.2%), therefore they are easily digested by people who are lactose intolerant.
Picking the correct Gouda alternative
In the search for gouda cheese substitutes at the grocery stores, the sensory properties which consist of the texture, flavor, and taste must be taken into consideration.
It should be noted that these sensory properties are greatly influenced by the source of the milk used in producing the cheeses, as well as the processing steps involved in the production of these cheeses.
These determine the final nutrient profile of these cheeses, which play a key role in influencing their sensory properties, their rheology and consequently their acceptability to customers.
Below is therefore a list of cheeses that make good substitutes for gouda.
7 Gouda Substitutes
Are you looking for a Gouda substitute? In this comprehensive list you'll learn 7 ideas for an alternative.
Cheddar cheese is a native English cheese, also made from pasteurised cow’s milk like gouda cheese. It is compact and crumbly hard cheese, with a more creamy/buttery flavour and an orange to pale yellow color.
Unlike gouda cheese, cheddar has a higher calorie and fat content. Though cheddar cheese has a stronger flavour than gouda cheese, it is popularly used interchangeably with gouda cheese in many recipes.
It pairs well with a sandwich, pasta (it would make a great substitute in this chicken and ham pasta recipe) and vegetables. Because of its higher fat content, cheddar melts well making it a good substitute for gouda cheese recipes like fondues, pizza, and dips.
Mild cheddar is the youngest aged cheese sold which has a very mild flavor, subtle taste and good melting properties.
Similar to gouda, cheddar can also be smoked because of its hard texture, and smoked cheddar is very available and affordable as well. Therefore, it is a perfect smoked gouda alternative for smoked bacon, ham and sandwiches, dips, and smoked gouda fondue amongst others.
Cheddar cheese would also be a good gouda replacement for those who prefer a more calorie dense or fatty cheese option like those on a keto diet.
Swiss cheese is the most famous cheese of Swiss origin, made from cow’s milk. It is semi hard with a sweet and nutty flavour, and a pale shiny yellow color. The large “eyes” characteristic of most Swiss cheeses is the result of bubbles of carbon dioxide formed during the production process .
It is more calorie dense than gouda, though both have a similar fat content. It however contains less sodium than gouda, making it less salty.
Their sweet taste is similar to gouda and so makes them pair well with fruits (like apricots, cherries, figs and raisins), sandwich, pasta dishes,beer and wines (like Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and white wines), thus making it a great gouda substitute.
Edam cheese is a native cheese from the Netherlands like gouda cheese, also made from cow’s milk. It is semi-hard cheese with a pale yellow color interior, coated with a red paraffin wax. Unlike gouda cheese, this dutch cheese is made with semi-skimmed milk, thus accounting for its slightly lower buttery flavor. Its flavor intensifies as the cheese ages.
Edam has a similar calorie, protein, water, and fat content similar to gouda making it a great cheese alternative for gouda.
Edam is a more expensive type of cheese than gouda, but its rich taste and flavour makes it a go-to option. It is commonly consumed with crackers, and fruits, like peach, melons, cherries, and pears. Edam cheese also pairs well with casseroles, like potato frittatas, bread, dark beers, and pinot wines.
Gruyere cheese is a Swiss cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It has a hard dense cheese, with a slight nutty flavour that resembles that of gouda cheese. The young cheese has a “forage” flavour, typical of grass eating cows.
It has a calorie value of 413 kcal per 100g, making it more energy dense than gouda cheese. Its fat content is also higher (32.3g/100g) than that of gouda cheese.
Since gruyere cheese has a mild flavor, it does not overshadow those of the ingredients and thus makes an ideal replacement for gouda cheese in soups, stews, and salads. They also go well with bread and wines especially Pinot Noir
Its high fat content makes it have good melting properties. The young cheese is noted for melting more easily, making it an ideal substitute for gouda cheese melted recipes such as fondues, sauces, pasta, and casseroles.
The older gruyere cheeses are harder and can be used for cheese boards. Gruyere cheese is easy to find in grocery stores and it is quite affordable.
Muenster cheese is a true American cheese made from cow’s milk. It is semi-soft in texture with a mild nutty sweet flavor, an off-white/pale-yellow colour on the inside and an orange colour on the outside. This colour disparity is due to annatto added, which is a red condiment, derived from the seeds of the achiote tree.
It has a calorie content of 393 kcal per 100g, making it more energy dense than gouda cheese. Also, its fat content is 32.1g per 100g, which is also higher than that of gouda cheese.
Since it is a semi-soft cheese and it has a higher fat content, it makes an excellent melting cheese for recipes like grilled cheese dishes, macaroni and cheese, cheeseburgers, and pizza. Also, its semi-soft texture causes it to develop a strong pungent aroma when aged. As such it is sold as a young cheese, compared to other cheese alternatives.
Monterey Jack cheese is an American cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. It is semi-hard in texture, with a milder buttery flavor than gouda cheese and a pale yellow color. It can be flavoured with chilli peppers and herbs to produce a peppery version called Pepper Jack cheese.
Monterey Jack cheese has more calories and fat than gouda cheese. Monterey Jack is also a good melting cheese like gouda cheese, and thus the best substitute for use in sandwiches, quesadillas, meat toppings, appetizers and wine. Wines that pair well with Monterey Jack are Pinot Noir and Riesling.
Havarti cheese is a cheese of Danish origin, made from pasteurized cow’s milk. It is semi-soft in texture with a creamy and slightly nutty flavor and pale-yellow colour. Unlike gouda cheese, it has characteristic tiny holes. It has a higher calorie and fat content than gouda cheese.
Havarti cheese comes in different flavours like basil, coconut, cranberry, garlic, and red pepper, making it quite versatile in use, depending on the recipe in mind.
Havarti cheese is commonly used as table cheese, and pairs well with crackers, sandwiches, and grilled recipes. They can also be sliced and served together with beer and wines.
The seven cheeses discussed above are the best substitutes for gouda cheese, due to their sensory properties such as nutty flavor similar to gouda,their mild taste, slightly sweet flavor, creamy texture or dense texture.
Some of them are great gouda cheese alternatives that are readily available in most grocery stores, are affordable and can pair well with a particular recipe in mind. Some pair well with certain meats, fruits, beer, red wines or white wines.
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