Why is the Netherlands so well known for cheese?

Where it started

When the first Dutch cheese It's hard to say, but archaeologists have found cheese-making tools in the Netherlands dating back to 800 BC. Since then it has become such a popular commodity that for a time during the Middle Ages it served as currency when passing the Koblenz toll.

Within the Netherlands you could get the first market cheeses in Haarlem (1266), Leiden in 1303, Oudewater (1326) and Alkmaar (1365). The price was negotiated by the old-fashioned "clap of hands"
In the Alkmaar you can also still get your cheese in the classic time capsule. All cheeses were named after the market where they were sold. For example, Gouda cheese is not necessarily made in Gouda, but has traditionally been sold there!

So what makes Dutch cheese so popular?

High Quality

This starts with the grass on which the cows graze. Many areas in the Netherlands are below sea level. This makes the land very fertile and yet very humid. Other crops such as maize cannot handle this well, but the grass was of high quality, which translates into a high quality cheese.

The production process was also taken very seriously. Lengthy rules were made to protect the high standards of the cheese. In 1913, a cheese maker was even obliged to possess a national cheese mark before selling his cheese.

How was this love for cheese spread?

In 1491 the church stated that eating cheese during Lent was allowed. This of course also boosted sales and its popularity rose within the Netherlands.
The international popularity growth was in the Golden Age. Dutch cheeses then literally followed the success of Dutch exports at that time. Due to its firm consistency, it had a longer shelf life than other soft ones cheeses from abroad; and thus better transport and sell in other countries.
These exports have always continued; we export more than 400.000.000 kilos of cheese per year!