Edam ( nl, Edammer, ) is a

semi-hard cheese There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most comm ...

that originated in the Netherlands, and is named after the town of Edam in the province of

North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...

. Edam is traditionally sold in flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat, or rind, of red

paraffin wax Paraffin wax (or petroleum wax) is a soft colorless solid derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale that consists of a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules containing between 20 and 40 carbon atoms. It is solid at room temperature and begins to m ...

. Edam ages and travels well, and does not spoil; it only hardens. These qualities (among others) made it the world's most popular cheese between the 14th and 18th centuries, both at sea and in remote colonies.History of Edam Cheese
Edam.com. Retrieved 11 April 2007

Content

Most "young" Edam cheese sold in stores has a very mild flavour, slightly salty or nutty, and almost no smell when compared to other cheeses. As the cheese ages, its flavour sharpens, and it becomes firmer. Edam may have as little as 28%

fat in dry matter The dry matter or dry weight is a measurement of the mass of something when completely dried. Analysis of food The dry matter of plant and animal material consists of all its constituents excluding water. The dry matter of food includes carboh ...

. Modern Edam is softer than other cheeses, such as

Cheddar cheese Cheddar cheese (or simply cheddar) is a natural cheese that is relatively hard, off-white (or orange if colourings such as annatto are added), and sometimes sharp-tasting. Cheddar originates from the English village of Cheddar in Somerset. Ched ...

, due to its low fat content.

Accompaniments

Mild Edam goes well with fruit such as peaches, melons,

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...

s, and cherries. Aged Edam is often eaten with traditional "cheese fruits" like

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

s and apples. Like most cheeses, it is commonly eaten on crackers and bread, and may be eaten with crackers following the main course of a meal as a dessert of "cheese and

biscuit A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be ...

s".

Pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...

, dry

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...

, semidry Riesling, sparkling wine,

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

, and Shiraz/Syrah are some recommended wines to accompany this cheese.

Regional uses

Spain and former colonies

In Spain and some of its former colonies, such as the Philippines and many Latin American countries, the cheese is known as ''queso de bola'' (ball cheese) and was long considered a delicacy. In the Mexican state of

Yucatán Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the political divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. I ...

, ''queso de bola'' is prepared as ''queso relleno'' ("stuffed cheese"). A ball of cheese is cut in half and carved out; it is then stuffed with a mixture of seasoned ground meat, raisins, capers, and olives. Finally, it is braised in chicken stock, and served sliced with the chicken stock that has been thickened with cornstarch and spiced tomato sauce.

Czech Republic & Slovakia

It is the most common cheese used in the Czech Republic (usually sold under name ''eidam'') and also very often used as base of the snack

smažený sýr Smažený sýr () or vyprážaný syr () – both meaning "fried cheese" – is a Czech and Slovak cheese-based dish that is widely consumed in both countries of the former state of Czechoslovakia. It is a common street food in both countries and ...

("fried cheese"), which is popular in the country and also in neighbouring

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

( sk, vyprážaný syr) where it may be served with a slice of ham ( sk, so šunkou), and always with

tartar sauce Tartar sauce (French: ''sauce tartare''; spelled tartare sauce in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, South Africa) is a condiment made of mayonnaise, chopped pickles and/or relish, capers, and herbs such as tarragon and dill. Tarta ...

(''tatárska omáčka'') or

mayonnaise Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar ...

Belize

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, where it was once one of the few commercially available cheeses, it may also be known as ''queso de calavera'' or ''queso de colorado'', and usually eaten when well-aged and sharp, commonly with bread and coffee.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, Edam cheese is quite popular—due to historical ties with the Netherlands—and is known as ''keju edam''. Generally it is Edam cheese that is used for cooking ''

kaasstengels ''Kaasstengels'' (), ''Kastengel'' or ''kue keju'' are a Dutch cheese snack in the shape of sticks. Owed to its colonial links to the Netherlands, kaasstengels are also commonly found in Indonesia. The name refers to its ingredients, shape and ...

'' that is served during

Eid ul-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

, and Chinese New Year. Other Indonesian dishes such as ''roti bakar'', ''

kue cubit Kue cubit is a Southeast Asian snack, originating from Indonesia. It is common snack food served in many Indonesian cities. It is a cake, around in diameter. The sellers of this snack usually operate near schools or traditional markets. Kue cub ...

'' and ''

pannenkoek A pannenkoek (; plural ''pannenkoeken'' ) or Dutch pancake is a style of pancake with origins in the Netherlands. Pannenkoeken are usually larger (up to a foot in diameter) and much thinner than their American or Scotch pancake counterparts, b ...

'' can be served with Edam cheese as topping.

Philippines

In the Philippines, ''queso de bola'' (sometimes spelled ''keso de bola'') is popular during

Christmas in the Philippines Christmas in the Philippines ( fil, Pasko sa Pilipinas) is one of the biggest holidays in the country. The Philippines, one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other one being East Timor), celebrates the world's longest C ...

, when Filipinos feast with family and friends. It is customarily served with ''jamón'' and ''pandesal'' during the ''Noche Buena'', the traditional feast taken around midnight of

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

and lasting until the early hours of

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

Scandinavia

The cheese is also associated with Christmas in Sweden and Norway due to its red color, and is often found on the Christmas '' Julbord'' buffet.

In popular culture

Edam has been treated dramatically and humorously in a variety of cultural art forms. In the novel ''

All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma du ...

'', the main character believes its red outer covering is a sign of impending death. It is a wine aroma nuance in ''

Sideways ''Sideways'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama road film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Jim Taylor and Payne. A film adaptation of Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, ''Sideways'' follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymo ...

'' and an object of desire in the animated film '' Shopper 13''. Edam is a seriocomic pivot in the Australian film ''

Three Dollars ''Three Dollars'' is a 2005 Australian film directed by Robert Connolly and starring David Wenham, Sarah Wynter, and Frances O'Connor. It was based on a 1998 novel of the same name by Elliot Perlman. It won the 2005 Australian Film Institute ...

''. Actor

Jason Flemyng Jason Iain Flemyng''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 25 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for roles in British films such as ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998) ...

advertised Edam in the UK.Lloyd, Dan (8 August 2008
Jason Flemyng:I'm sexy if you like gingers
'' The Mirror''. Retrieved 15 February 2010. Edam was tested by ''

MythBusters ''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internatio ...

'' in episode 128 for its putative suitability as cannon ammunition against a ship's sail, but it bounced off the sail without damaging it.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edam (cheese) Dutch cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses Culture of North Holland Edam-Volendam