Q. What does Edam taste and look like?
A. Edam is a mild, delicately flavoured cheese, with a smooth and creamy texture and pale yellow in colour. It is instantly recognisable in the chiller cabinet in a shop by it's round shape and red wax coating.

Q. Why are Edam cheeses called Edam?
A: Just like Cheddar cheese is named after a village, so is Edam cheese. For more information about Edam the town take a look at: More...

Q. Is Edam a processed cheese?
A. No, Edam is a naturally made and matured cheese, ripened for 4 weeks to give it a very approachable creamy and mild taste.
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Q. Can Edam be cooked?
A. Edam cheese works very well in cooking. It can be melted and grilled on bread, stirred into soups or stews or included in oven baked dishes. When melted, Edam reaches a soft stringy consistency that is delicious.

Q. Is Edam high in fat?
A: Dutch law carefully stipulates how rind, shape, consistency, fat percentage and colour of Edam cheeses should be. Edam contains 24% fat which is less than the fat content of Dutch Maasdam and Dutch Gouda cheese. In fact Edam contains 25% less fat than cheddar. Besides the classic Edam cheese also available in store: Frico Light is a ball shaped cheese, which contains 50% less fat than the classic Edam cheese. More...

Q. Is Edam high in salt?
A. Salt is essential for the cheese's taste, shelf life and rind. 100g of mild Edam cheese contains approximately 2.7g of salt. While it is not healthy to eat too much salty food, there are numerous products that, by nature or due to additives, contain a lot more salt than cheese. More...

Q. Is Edam cheese a vegetarian cheese?
A: Nowadays the majority of retailers in the UK sell vegetarian Edam. If vegetarian rennet is used it is often marked with a V on the front of pack and / or written on the back of pack.

Q: Is Edam cheese available in an organic variant?
A: Yes, a few retailers offer Organic Edam cheese wedges in their assortment.

Q. Is Edam good for you?
A. Yes, Edam is good for you as part of a balanced diet. Not only is it lower in fat than other cheeses but it is also an excellent source of calcium. Edam cheese is endorsed by the UK government as a healthy cheese alternative for school lunch. It is also great as a lunchbox addition to keep those young bones strong and healthy.

Q. How long can I keep Edam for?
A. Edam should be stored in the fridge. Please check the best before date on the pack for the best storage advice.

Q. Why does Edam have a red wax coating?
A. In the 14th century, Edam was an important port from which the cheeses were shipped to other parts of the Netherlands, as well as abroad. In order to extend the cheese's shelf life, the cheese was coated with red colouring agents, extracted from a special type of wood. Although this red colour is still characteristic for Edam cheese, these colouring agents have been replaced with a red layer of paraffin.

Q: Can I eat the red wax?
A: It is advised not to eat the rind and wax.

Q: How big is an Edam ball?
A: Edam balls weigh around two kilos, however smaller Edams also exist, weighing approximately 900 grams.