Edamsche Kaasmakerij

Edam is a small town in North Holland, on the former Zuiderzee, whose name is known all over the world because of its cheese. The round, mild cheese with its red wax coat was one of the first Dutch products to be exported in large quantities, and for centuries ships carried it from the port of Edam to markets in Europe, America and Asia. It kept well on long sea voyages, and sailors valued it. The Edamsche Kaasmakerij, the Edam Cheese Factory or Story of Edam Cheese, is a visitor centre that explains how this famous product was made and how it came to have its fame.

The visit covers the history of the cheese, the people who made and traded it and the process by which milk becomes a wheel of Edam. The main stages are heating milk and adding rennet to form curd, cutting and draining the curd, pressing it into moulds, brining the cheeses in salt water and ageing them on wooden shelves. Each stage affects the flavour and texture, and young Edam is soft and mild, while a longer ageing gives a firmer, sharper cheese. The red wax coating is for protection and for export, and cheeses for local sale are often yellow. Displays show tools, moulds and equipment from different periods, and a demonstration may let visitors see parts of the process. Tasting is generally on offer, and the shop sells cheese and related products.

The centre is accessible and designed to suit all ages, so it works well for families. Opening days and times vary with the season, with longer hours in the summer and a reduced schedule in winter, and entry is charged, with lower rates for children. Check the current details before going.

The visit is best combined with the rest of the town. A traditional cheese market is held on the Waagplein in the summer months, where cheeses are carried in the traditional way, weighed in the old weigh house and sold with ceremony to traders, a tourist event but one rooted in practice. The Edam Museum, in a sixteenth-century house called Het Coopmanshuys, shows the history of the town, and the Grote Kerk of Saint Nicholas, the windmills and the canals add interest. The harbour and the little hump-backed bridges are very picturesque.

The centre suits families, food lovers and day trippers from Amsterdam, which is a short bus ride away. A visit takes about an hour, and a full day in Edam can include the market, the museum and a walk along the water. Buy cheese to take home.