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My name is Lerato, and I'm Woolworths TASTE's commercial content producer, and a person who takes cheese very seriously. But Gouda? Gouda has my heart. So when we got Woolies' full Gouda range to taste and pair with drinks at the TASTE kitchen, I was in. And honestly? My mind was a little blown.

Here's what I can tell you: a two-month-matured and a 20-month-matured Gouda are not the same cheese. Not even close. They're entirely different experiences – different textures, different flavours and completely different vibes. And because each one is so different, each one needs a different drink to go with it. I tasted my way through these with everything but wine – and honestly, I didn't miss it. Each one deserves a drink that stands alongside it, not behind it.

Here's what I found works.

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Two-month-matured Gouda

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This one's young, soft, mild and creamy. It's your easygoing cheese – approachable, buttery, slightly nutty. Because it's so fresh, the drinks need to be, too. I tried it with fresh lemonade and mint, and coconut water, and they work perfectly. They're light, refreshing and don't overpower the cheese. A gentle pairing for a gentle cheese.

Six-month-matured Gouda

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Friendly but nuttier, slightly firmer and more complex. The caramel notes are just starting to develop here, and it's a really nice progression. The pear-and-ginger spritzer was my favourite – pear just makes the cheese taste more like itself. The grapefruit sparkling water is great too; it cuts through the growing richness.

10-month-matured Gouda

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This is where it gets interesting. The crystals start forming inside the cheese – and that's where all the flavour lives. Nuttier, deeper, more assertive. The cranberry and hibiscus pairings are there to cut through the richness and match the intensity. And those crystals? Not salt. They're tyrosine, a natural amino acid that forms as the cheese matures – a hallmark of well-aged Gouda. You feel them on your tongue, and it's a really cool texture thing.

20-month-matured Gouda

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This one is bold and has an almost caramel-like sweetness, with pronounced crystals throughout. It has real character and needs a drink that can stand alongside it. Iced black tea with lemon and tonic water with orange peel do exactly that – they're assertive enough to hold their own against the cheese's intensity. Anything lighter would just disappear. If you tasted a two-month-matured and a 20-month-matured Gouda blindfolded, you'd struggle to believe they're the same cheese. Age doesn't just make Gouda older – it transforms its whole personality.

Find more Gouda recipes here

Producer: Fatima Saib

Host: Lerato Tlali

Recipe and production: Bianca Strydom 

Food assistant: Bianca Jones

Photography: TBC

Videography: Kaylene Sauls

From young and creamy two-month-matured Gouda, to richly matured and beautifully complex six-, 10- and 20-month-matured, discover Woolworths’ full Gouda range crafted for every taste and every moment.

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