A New Gouda Hits the Shelves: How This Delicious, Mild Cheese Became So Popular

Did you know that Gouda is one of the oldest cheeses still being made? The first mention of it dates back to the 12th century! You may recognize Gouda from its bright and colorful wax rind or simply by its flavor. A semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk, Gouda’s flavor profile depends on its age, ranging from mildly sweet and buttery to intensely nutty and caramelized.

Did you also know that Gouda is one of the fastest growing categories of cheeses? With U.S. Gouda deli cheese sales up over 20%, demand is increasing for well-made Gouda cheese. “We believe the Gouda category will continue to grow year over year,” said Heather Engwall, Vice President of Marketing for Emmi Roth.

After years of fine tuning, Wisconsin's Roth® Cheese has launched a new Roth Aged Gouda to meet increasing demand. “We wanted to create a high quality, specialty Aged Gouda at an affordable price that everyone can put in their weekly grocery cart” continued Heather.

The new Roth Aged Gouda is inspired by the best imported Goudas in taste and texture, reminiscent of brown butter, butterscotch with a hint of grilled pineapple, and some sweet salted caramel to finish. The goal was to achieve something similar to the candy-like eating experience of imported Gouda without the heavy, nutty, raw, grassy flavors also common in this variety. The perfect recipe took more than three years to perfect by Roth cheesemaker, Madeline Kuhn.

“I wanted the finished product to be complex, but also familiar,” said Kuhn. “This process should not be rushed, especially for an aged product with considerable cure time. Over three years I made batch after batch of Gouda, tweaking ingredients and process along the way. I carefully tucked them away into the cellars to monitor as they aged, checking month after month.” The cheese is aged for at least 6 months in the Roth Cellars in Monroe, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin – Roth® cheeses are made with milk sourced within a 60-mile radius of their creameries in Wisconsin, where generations of dairy farmers have been producing the best quality milk for more than 160 years. With 96% of Wisconsin’s dairy farms being family owned, there’s no wonder they treat their cows and partners like family, too. 

Available in 6-ounce wedges and 9lb wheels, Roth Aged Gouda can be found at select retailers across the country and online.