Almost 800 years ago farmers in the village of Gouda in Holland first brought a creamy new cheese to market. Now scientists in Germany say they have cracked the secret of Gouda’s good taste.

Scientists say they have identified the key protein peptides, responsible for the complex, long-lasting flavor of the popular cheese. Their study is in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The discovery may lead to more good Gouda.

Thomas Hofmann, Simone Toelstede and Andreas Dunkel note that the scientists have tried for years to pinpoint the natural molecules responsible for the long-lasting taste and wonderful texture of Gouda cheese. Cheese lovers prize this characteristic taste, known as the “kokumi sensation.”

It develops during the aging or ripening stage, with more age Gouda develops more full, complex, and longer-lasting flavor.

The scientists solved the age-old mystery by combining mass spectroscopy and other high-tech analytical instruments and sophisticated sensory tools to identify six gamma-glutamyl peptides that appear to be mainly responsible for the kokumi sensation in Gouda. This knowledge could be used to enhance the flavor of dairy products by technological means, the researchers say.

Source
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry