Gouda is traditionally regarded as the birthplace of the Dutch stroopwafel.
A stroopwafel is made from two thin, round waffle layers joined by a syrup filling. The Dutch word combines stroop, meaning syrup, with wafel, meaning waffle. Gouda, in the province of South Holland, is the city most often credited with its origin.
The usual origin story places the first stroopwafels in Gouda during the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Bakers are said to have used crumbs and leftover dough, binding them with syrup to create an inexpensive treat. The precise identity of the first baker is not firmly established.
Stroopwafels later spread throughout the Netherlands and became an internationally recognized Dutch food. A common way to eat one is to place it over a cup of hot coffee or tea so the syrup softens. The city association is Gouda, not the cheese of the same name alone.