Gouda

Gouda is a washed-curd cheese, and you can taste that in every bite. The curd is washed and warmed before pressing, and that keeps the cheese from turning sour. That's the whole secret to Gouda: mild, milky, never sharp when young.

Choosing it is a matter of touching and smelling, not reading a label. Young Gouda should feel slightly springy, almost like a firm eraser, and smell like warm milk and butter. Cut it and it should hold together smoothly, no crumbs, no cracks. Aged Gouda turns harder and darker, and you will feel a faint crunch when you bite into it — small crystals, almost like coarse salt, that come with a deep, caramel flavour.

Some people say the wax coating means the cheese is fresh and delicate, so they leave it whole in the fridge for weeks, untouched. No! Wax only slows moisture loss; it doesn't stop the cheese from changing underneath. The mistake is forgetting about it until you cut in and find it dry at the edges, harder than you expected, the smell turned sharp. Cut it, wrap it properly, taste it often, and keep it exactly where you want it.