Old Amsterdam is a premium aged gouda cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a firm texture, deep color, and smooth, rich and robust flavor. Gouda cheese in general is named after the town of Gouda, located in the South Holland province of The Netherlands. Aged gouda, a washed-curd cheese, is always made from standardized milk. It has a minimum butterfat content of 48% (Edam cheese, a close relative, has a butterfat content of 40%). Traditionally, Old Amsterdam is ripened on wooden shelves to form its typical semi-hard structure, with a deep caramel color. The body of the cheese may contain tiny holes, called “eyes.” In addition, crunchy white protein (or ‘ripening’) crystals appear during the ripening process.