Gouda cheese is a semi-hard dutch cheese named for the city of Gouda, Netherlands. The name of the cheese is now a generic name, and is not confined to cheese produced within the city of Gouda. In fact, the cheese is produced around the world. Most Gouda is the "young" variety, being aged between one and six months. Aged Gouda, which is usually aged between six months and a year, is often brittle and must be served in slices of cubes. Though Gouda is not a registered name of cheese because of its worldwide production, "Noord-Hollandse Gouda" (meaning North Holland Gouda" is a registered name in the European Union.