Yes, Gouda is a type of cheese from the Netherlands, widely copied around the world.
It originated from the area around the town of Gouda, which has lush, fertile grounds for grass to grow, to feed the cows...
The reason for this fertile ground is that it is in fact below sea level. The river Rhine comes in from the east, so if we donot channel this water and drain the land, it will get swampy pretty quick.. You could say much of the Netherlands is floating on water....
Being below the water table, the Dutch build an infrastructure that would allow us to lower/maintain the water table. Once the land was reclaimed, it was intersected with narrow drainage ditches
[image: 20130407_65.JPG]
These connected to a wider ditch (to hold more water).
The water would then be pumped up some 2-3 meters time and time agian until the water could be sluiced into a river (which eventually would lead into the sea)
[image: 20130407_71.JPG]
The next picture doesnot show very well, but there's about 2 meters difference in water level
[image: 20130407_45.JPG]
Right Gouda............
The town became the market centre for cheese and other agricultural produce, where all cheese brought to market had to be weighed. So it could be taxed... :wacko:
They built a specific weighing station in 1670.
[image: 20130407_35.JPG]
[image: 20130407_37.JPG]
And with all the wealth amassed? From 1448 on they took 11 years to build their city hall...
[image: 20130407_21.JPG]
[image: 20130407_13.JPG]
[image: 20130407_25.JPG]
Lest I forget.....................
FOOD!!!!!!!!!!! :goofy:
[image: 20130407_31.JPG]
It originated from the area around the town of Gouda, which has lush, fertile grounds for grass to grow, to feed the cows...
The reason for this fertile ground is that it is in fact below sea level. The river Rhine comes in from the east, so if we donot channel this water and drain the land, it will get swampy pretty quick.. You could say much of the Netherlands is floating on water....
Being below the water table, the Dutch build an infrastructure that would allow us to lower/maintain the water table. Once the land was reclaimed, it was intersected with narrow drainage ditches
[image: 20130407_65.JPG]
These connected to a wider ditch (to hold more water).
The water would then be pumped up some 2-3 meters time and time agian until the water could be sluiced into a river (which eventually would lead into the sea)
[image: 20130407_71.JPG]
The next picture doesnot show very well, but there's about 2 meters difference in water level
[image: 20130407_45.JPG]
Right Gouda............
The town became the market centre for cheese and other agricultural produce, where all cheese brought to market had to be weighed. So it could be taxed... :wacko:
They built a specific weighing station in 1670.
[image: 20130407_35.JPG]
[image: 20130407_37.JPG]
And with all the wealth amassed? From 1448 on they took 11 years to build their city hall...
[image: 20130407_21.JPG]
[image: 20130407_13.JPG]
[image: 20130407_25.JPG]
Lest I forget.....................
FOOD!!!!!!!!!!! :goofy:
[image: 20130407_31.JPG]