EDAM

dorp (village) in Edam-Volendam gemeente (municipality), Noord-Holland provincie (province), northwestern Netherlands, on the IJsselmeer (Lake IJssel). Named for the dam built on the Ye, which joined the Purmer Lake (now polder) to the Zuiderzee, it became an important harbour, fishing port, and shipbuilding centre and was chartered in 1357, when a dock was built on the Zuiderzee. The harbour silted up and industrial and commercial activity waned after the construction in 1567 of a sluice in the dock to prevent flooding. The harbour has been sealed off as part of an inland lake preparatory to the drainage of the Markerwaard Polder (see IJsselmeer Polders). Edam is dominated by St. Nicholas Church, rebuilt after a fire in 1602. Other landmarks are the town hall (1737) and the tower of the former Church of Our Lady, which has one of the oldest carillons in The Netherlands (1561). The town museum (established 1895) is in an 18th-century sea captain's house with an unusual floating cellar. The Nieuwenkamp Museum has etchings and art treasures from Bali. The town is famous for its red-coated Edam cheese; light manufactures include earthenware, textiles, packing materials, tools, and door and window furnishings. Pop. (1982 est.) including Volendam, 23,520. semisoft cow's-milk cheese of Holland, usually molded in 2 to 4 pound (0.9 to 1.8 kilogram) spheres and coated in red paraffin; Edam is also produced in red-coated rectangular loaves. Originally the rind was brushed with vermilion to distinguish it from other Dutch cheeses, a purpose now served by the red paraffin. The smooth-textured interior of Edam is a rich yellow-gold, with a mild but savoury flavour that makes it popular as a snack cheese. Like Gouda, it is one of Europe's oldest commercial cheeses, widely exported and imitated. True Edam bears the mark of Holland on its rind. Aging generally lasts for two months but may extend to a year. Prolonged aging imparts a much stronger flavour and a harder, somewhat flaky consistency.