Edam ( ) is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands, and is named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland.[ Official Edam Town website Tourist information. Retrieved 11 April 2007] Edam is traditionally sold in flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat, or rind, of red paraffin wax. Edam ages and travels well and hardens, instead of spoiling, for an extended time. 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 cheeses sold in stores have 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. Modern Edam is softer than other cheeses, such as
cheddar cheese, because of its low fat content.
Accompaniments
Mild Edam goes well with fruit such as peaches, melons,
, and cherries. Aged Edam is often eaten with traditional "cheese fruits" like
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
".
Pinot gris, dry
Riesling, semidry Riesling, sparkling wine,
Chardonnay, and
Syrah are some recommended wines to accompany this cheese.
[Slinkard, Stacy Serving Wine and Cheese About.com. Retrieved 8 April 2010.]
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, 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.[Queso Relleno Recipe. Chef's Pencil. Retrieved 5 February 2013.]
Czechia and Slovakia
Edam is the most common
cheese used in the Czech Republic, where it is usually sold under the name
eidam. It is often used as the base of the snack
smažený sýr ("fried cheese"),
which is popular in the country and also in neighbouring
Slovakia () where it may be served with a slice of ham (),
[Slovak Food TravelSpectator.sk. Retrieved 10 November 2010.] and always with
tartar sauce (
tatarská omáčka) or
mayonnaise.
Belize
In
Belize, where it was once one of the few commercially available cheeses, it may also be known as
queso de calavera, queso de colorado, or
dutch cheese 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, a snack that is served during
› kaasteng...Hasil webIs it Kaastengels, Kastengel or Kaasstengels? - Indonesia Eats Other Indonesian dishes such as
roti bakar,
kue cubit and
pannenkoek can be served with Edam cheese as a topping.
Philippines
In the Philippines,
queso de bola (sometimes spelled
keso de bola) is popular during Christmas in the Philippines, when Filipinos feast with family and friends. It is customarily served with
jamón and
pandesal during the
nochebuena, the traditional feast taken around midnight of
Christmas Eve and lasting until the early hours of
Christmas Day.
[Carballo, Bibsy (2 August 2009). Our one-of-a-kind ‘queso de bola’ . Philippine Daily Inquirer.]
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, the main character believes its red outer covering is a sign of impending death. It is a wine aroma nuance in
Sideways and an object of desire in the animated film
Shopper 13. Edam is a seriocomic pivot in the Australian film
Three Dollars.
Actor
Jason Flemyng advertised Edam in the UK.
[Lloyd, Dan (8 August 2008) Jason Flemyng:I'm sexy if you like gingers. Daily Mirror. Retrieved 15 February 2010.] Edam was tested by
MythBusters in episode 128
for its putative suitability as cannon ammunition against a ship's sail, but it bounced off the sail without damaging it.
In Season 2 episode 24 of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Colin Mochrie playing "Cheese Man" claims he doesn't "give edam", a cheese pun. Drew Carey then describes it as "crossword puzzle cheese". ("Dutch cheese that's made backwards" is a well known clue for Edam in cryptic crosswords.)
See also
