Amsterdam Cheese Museum

It’s no secret that the Dutch are very fond of cheese. The Netherlands boasts many varieties named for the regions where they’re produced. But when it comes to the country’s most famous cheese, Gouda, there is no geographical limitation to where it can be made. This might raise the question of what makes a Gouda a Gouda. The Amsterdam cheese museum is here answer that, as well as other FAQs about Dutch dairy.

The top floor of the museum is a specialty cheese shop with most well-known Dutch brands and many smaller, more specialized varieties, including Twentse bunker cheese, truffle cheese, and even cheese with saffron. Most of the cheese is available on sample platters, and the staff will happily tell you about its origin. In the basement, there is a small museum that shows the process of making Gouda cheese, from the cow all the way to the market. You’ll also find examples of old instruments such as cheese-curd cutters, a milk machine, and even a specialized cheese scale.

The museum once housed what it claimed was the most expensive cheese slicer in the world. The silver slicer was encrusted with 200 diamonds and worth about 25,000 Euros (about $28,000). Unfortunately, thieves stole it in 2015 and, despite the promised reward of the world’s largest fondue set, it’s never been recovered.