Maasdam cheese

Maasdam cheese is a delightful Swiss-style cheese hailing from the Netherlands. Crafted from cow's milk, it is aged for a minimum of four weeks. Its faster ripening time compared to many other Dutch cheeses results in characteristic holes and a smooth, yellow rind. Occasionally, Maasdam may also come with a wax coating similar to that found on Gouda.

This cheese was developed to rival Swiss Emmental by being both more affordable and quicker to produce. Despite sharing some similarities with Swiss cheeses, Maasdam possesses its own distinct flavor—nutty and sweet, but softer than Emmental due to its higher moisture content.

The Maasdam cheese we recognize today was first introduced in 1984 by the Baars company under the name Leerdammer. Nowadays, other Dutch producers also create it, often referring to it as Maasdammer, named after the village of Maasdam in the Zuid-Holland province.