Why the Netherlands is world-famous for its cheese

Why are the Dutch known for their cheese around the world? How did the Netherlands become one of the largest cheese exporters in the world? And what does the future hold for Dutch cheese in times of climate change? DW reporter Anooshay Abid traveled to Alkmaar to find out.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:36 Cheese production in the Netherlands
00:56 Cheese Market in Alkmaar
01:57 Dutch cheese varieties
03:16 How the Dutch became pioneers in cheese-making
04:53 The impact of cheese
05:51 Environmental aspects
CREDITS
Report: Anooshay Abid
Camera: Nuno Ortiz de la Torre
Edit: Dirk Houben
Supervising editor: Ruben Kalus
Thumbnail photograph: © picture alliance
#cheese #netherlands #dutchcheese
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[@Kriwistus]

Something important that was left out in the video on why cheese production became so big in the Netherlands was that while the lands in the polders along the coast (much of those are below sea level) were very fertile, the wet and saline conditions made it unsuitable for many crops to be grown. However, it was very favorable for grass and other plants that were beneficial for livestock. So not only was the land very favorable for cattle herding (like the video mentions), but historically speaking, it was also one of the few uses that could be done with it.

[@dennis12dec]

Edam cheese is very popular in the Philippines 🇵🇭 as it's a staple during Christmas time.

[@telebubba5527]

Indeed, I recently learned about that, around the time you made your post here. Fascinating story behind it also. Enjoy your Edam cheese!

[@winglift8156]

Enjoyed the information, the presenter's skill, the interviewees, and all the sights captured from Holland. Thanks! I love edam cheese and eat a small piece made in New Zealand with breakfast every day.

[@theon9575]

Enjoy! But if the "Edam cheese" you eat is good then that speaks well of the NZ dairy industry and NZ grass. But it's good Edam-style cheese. Real Edam cheese is made in and comes from Edam and surrounds here in North Holland where it has long been traditional.

[@user-se6vg7mr1z]

It's almost unbelievable that the Netherlands is one of the biggest "agricultural producers" in the World, when you consider the size of their country, that is very fertile but small in territory. They are doing something very right with their land, including some "land reclamation" from the sea, that is apparently "their most fertile lands" - as those reclaimed lands are generally flat, sandy, fertile, the weather on the coast usually not very cold, warm sea gusts, when the sun is out. They also reckon, that the milk cows eating the grass on reclaimed land, gives it a salty taste, which is good for the cheese-making, even "their cows" the Holstein-Frisian is the most productive dairy cows in the World, developed right there, they have about 90% of the market. The Netherlands, cows, cheese, chips & beer. The Dutch have exported the cows, can they now export at least a few farmers, to teach the rest, HOW IT'S DONE.

[@auro1986]

cheese is solid easy to take around and store where milk is liquid that leaks and spills

[@xcel5203]

Can you make tea with cheese ?

[@Mrtompie09]

@@xcel5203 almost no one drinks their tea with milk, dear Englishman

[@QuantumChrist]

​@@xcel5203, that's the point, cheese can be make for thousands of dishes.

[@ShaurHumayun]

This is really fun to watch and very informative!

[@hattafayub7231]

Who is this reporter? she shared this info in really cool & catchy way

[@Procheeseaddict]

Oh boy sure do love to see some new cheese videos around

[@Sammy_kh16]

Very informative and fun to watch , job well done Reporter 😊

[@QuantumChrist]

Blogger,not reporter.

[@mln7771]

Hooray for Netherlands and their cheese making and eating culture. I've had the honour of living there for a few weeks and enjoyed their cheese culture very much.

[@SiegfriedPretsch]

The remark of a changing climate is stupendous!!! Cheese is here to stay!

[@aubs400]

That's not what stupendous means

[@SiegfriedPretsch]

You have heard of tongue in cheek

[@parmentier7457]

That calcium story may well be true. I am third generation Indonesian descent. Both my grandparents were born in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), to be precise, on Java and the South Moluccan Islands. My (Asian) parents were born in the Netherlands. My height and that of my cousins ​​(also 3rd generation) is 175cm. But my cousins ​​in Indonesia of the same age are a lot smaller than us. My female cousins ​​in the Netherlands are taller than my male cousins ​​in Indonesia.

[@mariaannainditahernawati7132]

bagaimana dg konsumsi keju anda? jika hanya susu saja tdk signifikan tho? konsumsi produk dairy fermentasi seperti keju dan yogurt memberikan pengaruh besar utk pertumbuhan tulang saya perhatikan utk org yunani dan turkiye termasuk tinggi sementara orang itali dan spanyol yg hanya makan keju yah bisa dibilang lumayan ternyata kalah tingginya cara konsumsi produk dairy yg tepat bisa menentukan perkembangan fisik cmiiw

[@prabhdeepdhahan1147]

I love Dutch cheese & kickboxing!

[@shunaras]

Netherlands is a multihyphenate, they have oil, the only chip maker in Europe, most popular gouda cheese, Heineken beer, biggest shipping port in Rotterdam, most beautiful models.....

[@Muralidharan001]

Also biggest cocaine importer. Rotterdam is becoming a narco state, with refugees it will look like pakistan in few decades.

[@SafetyBriefer]

And weed!

[@shunaras]

@@SafetyBriefer if you are so good, then you are taking drugs ;)

[@mcgibs]

@@SafetyBriefer Isn't that just a big loophole for one area though? IIRC it's still super controlled otherwise. The entire west coast of the US would be a better destination for weed.

[@dirk5720]

@@mcgibs Its all over the country.... every city has several shops.

[@blondstallion]

Go to the markets outside of the centre Of Amsterdam or any town. Don;t buy a brand cheese like Henry Willig or Old Amsterdam who have their own shops with no other cheeses than their own brand,, thats factory made cheese. . Go to a cheese shop that also sells Parmiggiano, Brie and Camembert. And then ask for a Dutch cheese made of raw milk made by a farmer of whom the shop owner knows his name. Like boer Jaap Schep, Boer Wouter or any other boer that makes his own cheese. The difference is stunning.

[@neothaka]

Cheese is the one of the biggest things I miss since I left for Asia. We've got cheese here, but it ain't the real deal.

[@lawrence1135]

Yunnan and Tibet have great cheese

[@khagga926]

This video just went to the next level! Incredible narration and super engaging content. DW always brings the best, and this one is top-notch! 🌟👏 Well done Noosh!

[@xcel5203]

Cheese manufacture is way less polluting than meat ,poultry, auto , steel , guns , alcohol, etc

[@xXHarleyMaeMcAfeeXx]

You’re saying cheese manufacture is less polluting than meat but please think about the process. What happens to the cows when they have been forcibly impregnated so many times to produce milk and are deemed no use anymore? Slaughter. What happens to the byproduct of milk production, the calves born? If it’s male, slaughter, if it’s female, milk then future slaughter. It’s factory farming as a whole which is causing issues environmentally due to the crazy mass production going on

[@QuantumChrist]

​@xXHarleyMaeMcAfeeXx, that's life, you can't save animals 😝

[@thandisilec835]

The Dutch aren’t the tallest ppl in the world…South Sudanese are tallest

[@TOURS732]

My favorite is edam cheese

[@blondstallion]

You should try Stolwijker made of raw milk. Edammer is a factory made cheese, very average.

[@nightgoblin29]

We have a cheese country for rich peeps these days :(

[@theon9575]

Very interesting and well presented. Thank you! But you did everything EXCEPT explain to us what's in your title. Other countries are also famous for cheese, more and even better sometimes. Like France and Italy. If you don't explain WHY it's famous, then change the title. Lol I was waiting for the REASON as to why, an explanation ...but none came. I reckon it's because we Dutch spend a lot of targeted money and time PROMOTING our cheeses, advertising etc. A good strategy is to give the cheese a place name. Like Edam or Gouda, but we Dutch like Bijlmer. One recent marketing success example was "Old Amsterdam" about 20 years ago. Tourists love it, I've noticed. But locals wouldn't choose it unless they are economising. It lacks "pit" or body, and not creamy in texture. But it went international very fast, selling quite acceptable cheese under a good commercial name in Asian markets, except that it's not at all "Old" or "belegen" as we say, which is slightly different. Also there are not actually any cheese factories or even milking cows in Amsterdam. LOL. Finally, just its name is a give-away: traditionally-loved Dutch cheeses don't have English names like "Old Amsterdam" Haha ... but it pulls in the market, and so it's famous. We don't even mind if other countries rip-off our trade cheese names, such as the name "Gouda" in the USA or Australia for cheese that's never come anywhere near Gouda, a town in Southern Holland province. It's free advertising by word of mouth imitation is flattery, and it works, even if the rubbery stuff in Australian supermarkets is nothing like Gouda cheese, and American Edam has no taste. Similarly "Heineken" beer.... Why is that famous? Publicity !!! If you say it often enough and write it on billboards everywhere it becomes an international best seller. Even though it's lousy, watery beer and MUCH better can be found in any supermarket anywhere in the Netherlands. Try real beer from Limburg or from North Brabant (Sint Jan's or Brandt) and you'll never buy Heineken again.

[@NS-un5lz]

Do much stupidity in your comment.

[@jaimeortega4940]

Love Dutch dairy!

[@malvinderkaur541]

Factual truths of milk based products whether cheeses or sweets all are beloved on human taste and there is reason behind , milk and it’s goodness is integral part of human life right from infancy as mothers milk naturally nourish the new life, milk has amazing nutritious properties in all forms whether in cheese or sweets they all carry goodness enzymes which has calming and nutritious properties. Hence now you know why milk and its derivatives are good for human beings

[@Martin_Priesthood]

Dairy cheese ☑️💪 Plant cheese 🤕⬇️

[@anthonyshephard6073]

Traditional Dutch cheese bought from a reputable supplier is certainly superb, so why does the Dutch food industry insist on supplying supermarkets all over Europe with plastic packs containing a few slices of tasteless, plasticky industrial rubbish ; its an insult to the traditional cheese makers, and to the lovers of real cheese.

[@NS-un5lz]

None of that plastic is Dutch. You can blame the EU and their racism for that one.

[@anthonyshephard6073]

@@NS-un5lz Sorry, I didn’t realise. I suppose its the same sort of imitations as the cheap « Cheddars » and « French-style » croissants etc.

[@Omiboshi]

I love artisanal cheese, but unfortunately, those are triggers for my migraines. It's really sad.

[@exeuropean]

I am Dutch and I prefer French cheese and Swiss cheese. Just more tastier.

[@Kees247]

Nobody touches my cheese😂

[@Nerinav1985]

Dutch Delight

[@hugocheng6243]

That’s Why Dutch so tall

[@janvangorp6918]

The cheese lovers in Holland will buy local instead off campina plastic cheese. De Dutch are the best in there tipe off product, and the French feel now insulted and furious😂

[@LT.GEN.VesperVonViper]

GO EAT 500,000 TMEGA TON CHEEEESEE REEEEEEEE

[@rawailsheraz3503]

Such a cheesy video! 😂♥️

[@hansmemling2311]

The dutch are very good at popularising and exporting products. That being said, if I want good beer I go to Belgium, if I want good cheese I go to France.

[@spoonman2605]

Depends on your tast. There are many kinds of excellent cheese in France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Which you prefer is a matter of taste

[@hansmemling2311]

@@spoonman2605 Well the Dutch are good at making 1 type of cheese and they have it in young and old versions. There are varietes between brands and they will add certain herbs for example. However it's still the same cheese. Compare that to the Swiss and they have much more refined cheeses and the French have a much bigger variety of really good cheese.

[@queen84sasha]

Belgian jelly of Dutch as usual​@@hansmemling2311

[@queen84sasha]

​​@@hansmemling2311get over it Belgian sourpiss

[@riproar11]

Misinformation. Not all Dutch people, but Dutch men are the tallest on Earth. Latvian women are the tallest on Earth averaging at 5 foot 6"-7" (1.6764 meters) but during my many travels there you will encounter so many very tall women you wont see anywhere else you travel.

[@which_dan]

Cheese bad for environment, how about environmentalist jets?

[@mauricearpin7946]

99% of global warming is caused by the hot air of activists and environmentalists.😂

[@QuantumChrist]

Everything is bad for environment. But the environment already killing you everytime. Seems fair

[@clacicle]

Well, how many “environmentalist” jets are flying around contributing to global warming?

[@watch1981]

Howghhhhda

[@ivanhuzjan438]

Is there a single subject that DW cover that doesn't mention global warming?

[@clown-hr7ic]

No it is the MSM, everything they do is propaganda.

[@watcher5729]

Cheap protein calcium filling

[@felipeseguraiv2578]

My people I ve found you at last🙏

[@thelandsavior402]

boycott dairy

[@QuantumChrist]

Boycott fairy

[@berberbro]

Is this been put out there to distract from the other things that are going on here in Holland rn? Lol

[@cracknoir8397]

Poor Toilet seen the movie sausage party gives the toilet paper nightmares hehe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@user-rh8fl8qz2z]

Because their other foods SUCK?!

[@QuantumChrist]

Italian Food sucks, Indian foods is feet food, Chinese food is Covid..... Everything sucks LOL

[@robertpait1916]

I enjoyed it right up until you started the lies about greenhouse gases.

[@tomg_2]

Seriously

[@lansvale28]

So cows do not produce methane?

[@JenniferMartinez-dl8yw]

Hallelujah!!! I’m the favorite, $60,000 every week! Now I can afford anything and also support the work of God and the church.

[@KaiGreywolf]

Oh really? Tell us more! Always interested in hearing stories of successes.

[@JenniferMartinez-dl8yw]

This is what Ana Graciela Blackwelder does, she has changed my life.

[@JenniferMartinez-dl8yw]

After raising up to 60k trading with her, I bought a new house and car here in the US and also paid for my son’s (Oscar) surgery. Glory to God.shalom.

[@KaiGreywolf]

@LauraGarcia-bm2tu Wow, that’s inspiring. How can I contact Ana Graciela Blackwelder?

[@GeorgeWashington-pc4qq]

You work for 40 years to have 1 million dollars in your retirement. Meanwhile, some people are investing just $10,000 in a meme coin for a few months, sometimes less, and now they’re billionaires. I pray that anyone reading this will be successful in life.

[@markroyo4013]

Pakistani reporter talking about dutch cheese sounds about right

[@progyandas9650]

What was the role of dutch colonialism in establishing this cheese empire ?

[@NS-un5lz]

Zero.

[@vinny4149]

Whats with DW and hiring all foreign reporters.

[@lolololol98]

A Pakistani woman wearing clothes like that, Where is Islam going 😢. Astagfirullah

[@blackberuang]

FACT FRENCH CHEESE IS WAY BETTER BYE.

[@kannkanny]

Lul nie

[@hadelidell4285]

Yes ! 😁

[@bertoverweel6588]

No it isn't.

[@NS-un5lz]

No, it isn't. Bye. Now stop stealing our money.

[@peteroffpist1621]

Don’t cheese that any more. Estrogen is a growth hormone and is known to make tumors grow both in breast and prostate.

[@sonnysantino7849]

Dutch cheese is a joke! All about quantity and no quality! It's never in top 20 of the world's best cheeses! It can compete in any way with French or Italian cheeses 😉

[@SayanGiant]

What? The World Cheese Championship was just two months ago, and the overall runner up was from the Netherlands. You can look up the results every year... The Netherlands has excellent cheesemakers, right up there with Switzerland and Wisconsin. The Italians and French often fail to place, even in the categories for their own cheeses... Is your comment wishful thinking, or from a sore loser from this year's competition?

[@Tsuma_Vento]

Wrong. If Dutch cheese is a joke you're the whole circus. Probably another one who only ever had the mass produced supermarket brands and never cared to get it fresh from the dairy farm. I swear, if I hear one more ignorant fool say they look like plastic... Good thing is you're only exposing yourself by claiming that.

[@sonnysantino7849]

@SayanGiant Look at the results the last 20 years and you will see its nowhere near the best! Also Food Atlas and many other and competitions agree that Netherlands cheeses are mediocre at best. It can't be any good because Nl has no nature, polluted air and polluted ground wather so the basics for the quality of milk are terrible. All in all its terrible quality.

[@SafetyBriefer]

You want a fight that badly, huh?

[@SayanGiant]

@@sonnysantino7849 This is a pretty ignorant take. Look at the last decade of the results right on the World Championship Cheese site, and the Netherlands is frequently in the top 3 overall. France was only a single top 3 finish (Austria placed twice), and Italy has 0. You seem to have some personal vendetta with the Netherlands, so I'll leave you to that. Maybe you should seek out some of the specialty Dutch cheeses and try them. They are quite excellent. Perhaps your local grocery store's selection is your problem, not an entire nation. Meanwhile, the rest of the world recognizes that they make excellent cheeses, right up there with Switzerland and Wisconsin - two powerhouses of exceptional cheesemaking. Absolutely, France and Italy produce some fine cheeses, but it's odd you're trying to make this all a competition, since such competitions exist, and the Netherlands clearly beats out both France and Italy regularly.

[@jeanculmavie9225]

No taste

[@miefrai19]

3 views in 1 minute bros really fell off

[@guppygrease9767]

Savings in hard work play fun score big, hello!