The Dutch are true cheese aficionados, yet our expertise lags behind our passion. A whopping 74% enjoy Dutch cheese three to four times a week, primarily on sandwiches (64%), averaging 17kg per person annually. Maaslander research highlights cheese's popularity: 50% view it as a meal essential, and 55% crave a simple cheese sandwich abroad.
Surprisingly, grasp of our top export is limited. Just 17% understand designations like 30+, 48+, or 50+ – many wrongly assume 30+ means 30% fat. Cheese maturation remains a mystery too: 36% believe grass cheese comes from grass-only fed cows, with 3% picturing it light green. Positively, 66% recognize full-fat milk, and 72% know meadow milk.
Even 'cheese heads' origins elude 81%, and 48% don't know why it's called Gouda cheese.
Key Cheese Facts
Cheese comprises ~40% water and 60% dry matter; 50+ indicates 50% fat in dry matter.
Grass cheese uses milk from cows' first post-winter grass grazing, yielding mild, creamy flavor.
Gouda cheese is named for centuries-old trading in Gouda.
The word 'cheese' stems from Latin 'caseus'.
'Cheese heads' nickname arose during Napoleonic era: farmers donned cheese-barrel helmets against French looters.
