GOUDA

gemeente (commune), Zuid-Holland provincie, western Netherlands, at the confluence of the Gouwe and IJssel rivers in a fertile polder district. Chartered in 1272, it was a centre of the medieval cloth trade and was known in the 17th and 18th centuries for its clay pipes (still produced). The city is famous for Gouda cheese, still traded at a weekly cheese market, but now as a tourist attraction. Pottery, stearine candles, and treacle wafers are manufactured, and flax and hemp are processed. Historic landmarks include the Gothic town hall (1449; restored 1947-52), the Weighhouse (1668), and the Grote Kerk (St. John's Church; rebuilt after a fire in 1552), celebrated for its 64 magnificent stained-glass windows (1556-1603). The Moriaan Museum houses a collection of pipes and pottery, and there is a municipal museum. Erasmus received his early education (before 1475) at Gouda and took holy orders at the nearby monastery of Stein. Pop. (1983 est.) 59,179. semisoft cow's-milk cheese of The Netherlands, named for the town of its origin. Gouda is traditionally made in flat wheels of 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 to 5.4 kilograms), each with a thin, natural rind coated in yellow paraffin. So-called baby Goudas are produced in smaller wheels of 10 to 20 ounces (310-620 grams). Gouda has a smooth-textured interior of pale ivory colour. Flavours are bland and creamy, except for aged Gouda, which is darker gold in colour, stronger and saltier in flavour, and harder in texture. Low-fat Goudas are also produced. Gouda is one of the oldest of European cheeses, probably dating to the 12th century, and is widely imitated in other cheese-producing countries. True Gouda has "Holland" stamped on the rind; farm-made Gouda, more pronounced in character than factory-made versions, bears an imprint of the word "Boerenkaas," which means "farmer's cheese."