Gouda is a typical Dutch cheese, produced for the first time in 1825 by Maria Voss in the city of Gouda from which it took its name. It is made with whole or semi-skimmed cow's milk and it has a straw-colored paste, fairly tender with irregular holes roughly the size of a pea, as well as a orange-red rind. It is produced in the shape of a parallelepiped or cylinder, with a convex base, in sizes ranging from 4 to 20 kilos. However, it also exists in molds of about 500 g. Its seasoning is very variable, since it can mature from 3 weeks to a maximum of 5 months. Gouda is an excellent table cheese, but it is also suitable for gratin dishes and it can even be grated.