Displays are common throughout the world and are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations. Fireworks were invented in ancient China in the 12th century to scare away evil spirits, as a natural extension of the Four Great Inventions of ancient China of gunpowder.
Gouda (/ËÉ¡aÊdÉ/, [ËÉ£ÊuÌ¯daË] ( listen) or /ËÉ¡uËdÉ/; Dutch: Goudse kaas, meaning cheese from Gouda) is a Dutch yellow cheese made from cow's milk. It is named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. One of the most popular cheeses worldwide, the name is used today as a general term for a variety of similar cheese produced in the traditional Dutch manner, as well as the Dutch original.
People who think they don't like goat cheese -- a big contingent, in my experience -- can have an epiphany when they encounter goat Gouda. This smooth, velvety, sweet cheese from Holland bears little resemblance to the chalky, tart, fresh chevre that many Americans dislike. With its caramel scent and cooked-milk taste, goat Gouda appeals to our sweet tooth. Traditional Dutch Gouda is made with cow's milk, but goat's milk versions are now commonplace. The production process is similar. The milk is pasteurized, cultured and curdled. To achieve a dense, tight texture and produce a wheel with aging potential, the cheesemakers must encourage the curds to expel their whey.