The Amsterdam Cheese Scene

If you’re visiting Amsterdam you’ll no doubt be interested in learning about, and trying, Dutch cheese. Here’s some Cheesy tips for you! 

The most common style of cheese made and sold in the Netherlands is Gouda. It's not made in Gouda, but it get's it's name because this style of cheese made on local farms was first sold and distributed from there. The majority are made from cows milk but there are some sheep and goat versions as well as some blue goats cheese. The style is made all over the country (and the world) now.

The cheeses are round with round corners and coated with a thin layer of wax. The wax coating helps to retain moisture in the cheese (resulting in more weight after aging) and the round corners help to stop any cracks in the rind which might create some internal mould (and there's nothing wrong with that!). Personally, I find waxing cheeses like this can inhibit Character and Complexity so although there are many excellent Gouda style cheeses here that I often work with, I am also always on the look out for cheeses with natural rinds. I talk more about this on my walking tours and workshops!

There are many other styles of cheese that are made in very small quantities on small farms.

These are only found in specialist cheese shops and markets listed below and are often included in my walks and workshops.

Soft, fresh goats cheeses, soft washed rind (smelly) cheeses, blues made from Cow, goat and Buffalo milk and many fabulous raw milk hard un-waxed - naturally rinded - cheeses, many of the cheese makers I know personally - they're a world apart from cheeses sold in supermarkets! One of my most popular talks is about these Dutch cheeses "A World Beyond Gouda!”

A word about cheese rinds. Apart from the wax outside of Gouda, ALL rinds are perfectly edible.

Read my Cheese Rind article all about this very important subject!

Some of my favourite Dutch cheeses include Remeker Oud, Zwarte Tor, Fiore and Fransje.

Where to buy cheese in Amsterdam.

One of the most common questions I get asked is "How can we tell if a cheese shop is a serious cheese shop?" 

When visiting a cheese shop or market look for three things:

1. Can you smell cheese?

2. Is there a counter where someone will cut and wrap cheese to order?

3. Is there a refrigerated display with a good selection of soft, washed (smelly) and blue cheeses?

If a shop has all three, then they are serious about cheese (you can't guarantee though that all their cheese will be world class of course). The many Tourist cheese shops in the centre of Amsterdam don't have ANY of the above, they sell baby Gouda cheeses and wedges of cheese vacuum packed in factories. The cheese is mostly mediocre or gimmicky (with added flavours and colours) and the prices are very high, twice the price of far higher quality cheese sold at shops and markets I go to.

You will also see a cheese called Old Amsterdam. This is a product born of marketing. It is not made in Amsterdam and it is not really old. It is a large scale production and they do various things to it to make it look and taste older, including adding colour. I know why people like it, but it is not a cheese for a connoisseur, you can find much better cheeses at the markets and shops below at lower prices. For more info about this "Fake Old Cheese", this is a great in-depth article!

Markets.

Albert Cuyp is popular with tourists, but for serious cheese you really need to go to Noordermarkt to the west of the main station on Saturdays, this is where I buy cheese from and where I take my Saturday cheese walk groups to.

Be sure to say hello to my friend Nadine who makes amazing soft goats cheeses (she's next to the fish stall)

Lindenmarkt, also on Saturday's, is a long street market next to it, there are also some good cheeses there.

Cheese shops.

Apart from the tourist shops, there are many cheese shops around the city stocking great cheeses that are popular with locals. They won't all look as slick as the tourist shops, but here, it really is all about the cheese!

My favourites, for different reasons, are listed below.

L’Amuse. Located in Amsterdam South so a little out of the centre but it’s a beautiful shop and every cheese they stock is world class

Fromagerie Abraham Kef  have 3 locations - East, West and North -  the last with a cheese cafe. All stocking superb cheeses by staff who are knowledgeable and passionate.

Bourgondisch on Haarlemmerstraat to the west of the main station. Small shop with stunning cheeses, some of which they mature themselves at their “Cheese Fort” outside of the city. They also have a tasting room.

De Kaaskamer. In the "Nine Little Streets" Great selection of Dutch and other European cheeses, I particularly love their soft, smelly and blue display at the back!

Zuivelhoeve/Tromp This is a chain with a few stores around the country, the one I regularly visit in Amsterdam is in Elandsgracht and has some lovely Gouda’s and soft and blue cheeses. Very friendly staff!

Buying Cheese to take home.

Hard cheeses vacuum packed will be good for 2 - 3 months and don’t need refrigeration (although don’t allow them to get warm). Good cheese shops will either wrap it in paper then vacuum pack, or vacuum pack and give you cheese paper to wrap it in after you open it. Hard cheeses are always far better as cut wedges from a larger cheese. Baby Gouda's look pretty, but the cheese can never really develop and you end up with a bigger ratio of rind to cheese.

Raw milk cheeses are always better than pasteurised and if you're worried about raw milk, any cheese over 6 months old (so any hard cheese) will be fine. Some countries (inc. Canada and Australia) don't allow personal imports of raw milk cheese. Cheeses over 6 months old are also naturally Lactose Free!

Once opened eat within 2 - 3 weeks, beyond that hard cheese can start to dry out and the cut surface might soon start to try to grow a new rind - this will start with a shine which can soon taste sour or bitter, and then spots of mould might start to grow. Scrape the shine off twice a week to stop this happening and to increase the life span of your cheese (I talk about this more in depth on my talks).

 Soft and blue cheeses are young and un-pressed meaning they are high moisture. They do not travel well, need constant refrigeration and have a very short life (max 1 week for soft cheeses, maybe 2 or 3 for blues). They can be vacuum packed for short journey’s but because of the high moisture they can sweat which might create a slight ammoniac smell, and being soft, they can also squash very easily. Best to buy those back at home.

Ask the cheese monger for advice (Cheese mongers love curious customers!), what is good that day, or in season. Base the strength of your selection on how adventurous your guests are and allow anything from 100 - 200gr of cheese per person for a great cheese dinner.

Where to eat cheese in Amsterdam?

You can enjoy serious cheese boards at Abraham Kef (at their shop in Noord - take the free ferry behind the central station, it’s then a 5 minute walk) and at Bourgondisch on Haarlemmerstraat. Restaurant Smelt in the “Nine Little Streets “ area is a great cheese based restaurant and The Cheese Bar in De Pijp has a Sushi style belt with cheese plates that you choose yourself. And new on the scene for absolutely the ultimate Cheese Toasty is MONTY'S near Noordermarkt. Toasted Sourdough sandwiches with the greatest hard cheeses from NL and England - I love it there!

You can also enjoy the greatest cheeses available in Amsterdam on one of my Cheese Discovery Walks. I have public walks most Saturday’s and some midweek days and private walks most days. We go shopping for cheese together then enjoy what we buy with Dutch Wine or Craft Beer (alcohol free options also available). You learn how to create the "Perfect Cheese Board", why all the cheeses look, smell and taste different, even how best to serve and cut different types of cheese, it does make a difference! I also now offer tasting workshops on a private and luxury Canal Boat Cruise.

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If you want to learn more about enjoying special cheeses including which ones are naturally Lactose Free, you can download my 16 page booklet "An Easy Guide to Enjoying Special Cheeses" for only €2.00.

And my "Perfect Cheese Board"? It’s.....

Something Old, Something New, Something Stinky, Something Blue!

© Michael William Jones 2024

Michael ran his own Cheese Shop in Switzerland for 14 years. He then sold cheese in London at Borough Market and at the oldest cheese shop in the UK, Paxton & Whitfield, suppliers to the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. He now lives in NL and spends his time writing and talking about cheese - he loves to share his knowledge and passion!