It might be hard to understand why anyone would deliberately eat something with a strong – and not needs pleasant – odour , but one valet ’s stinkycheeseis another serviceman ’s gourmet pleasance . In fact , according to Jill Erber , owner and hustler of Cheesetique – a specialty shop class nestled in the Del Rey neighborhood of Alexandria , Va. – for some cheese cognoscente , the stinkier , the better .
" The flavour that is develop in such a cheese is like none other . It ’s a crossing betweensalty , down-to-earth , mushroomy and meaty , " Erber say . " For many , once they begin bask unpleasant-smelling high mallow , they are incessantly seeking even stronger choices . A lot of people experience it makes them ' tough ' to eat a tall mallow that so many other mass shy aside from . "
The term " rotten " refers to a cheese salmagundi in the rinse - rind family , which think its rind was actually rinsed ( most probable in salt body of water solution ) during the age cognitive operation . This subprogram stimulate the ontogenesis of brevibacterium linens ( or atomic number 5 - linen paper for short ) , a bacteria that is singular to wash rinds , result in a less acidic cheese that is profoundly pungent . " The chroma of aroma and flavor increase the longer and more often a tall mallow is washed , " Erber adds .
In general , though , most crappy Malva sylvestris do n’t smack as strong as they reek , which could excuse why so many are cast to them . If you ’re ready to give icky cheese a endeavor , why not startle with the best ? Here , we ’ve nail five of the smelliest – and most flavorful – selections . Read on to find out what each one has to offer .
5: Taleggio
think to be one of the Old softcheeses , Taleggio was first develop during the 10thcentury in the Val Taleggio vale , which is place in the Lombardy part of Italy . Production originally take place during the fall and winter , with farmers drawing whole milk – which they afterwards curdled and fermented – from cows as they made their room down the Alps . Taleggio ’s smell is sometimes draw as being similar to wetgrassor even body odor , and the longer you give up it to age , the stronger that spirit will be . Its discernment , on the other hand , is much more pleasant – slightly piquant with hints of yield . Taleggio has a creamy texture , largely due to its intimately 50 percentage fatty tissue cognitive content , and you ’ll frequently find it paired with fruit or added to salad or pasta . Grayson cheese , which is raise in Virginia , is sometimes cite to as the American cousin of this miscellanea , because it ’s similar in aroma , texture and taste .
4: Epoisses
Napoleon was an early lover of this Frenchcheese , which grow in popularity during the 20thcentury . Though it was once manufactured on about 300 farms , production dwindle during World War II as makers were called to duty and did n’t resume until the mid-1950s . The full name of this cheese is actually Epoisses de Bourgogne ; " Bourgogne " refers to the region in France now solely responsible for its origination , which is accomplished with unpasteurized cow ’s milk . The cheeseflower is also rinse by manus up to three times a week during the aging mental process . It has a characteristically grim orange rind and carry a pungent and spicy aroma , while in texture it lean to be almost gooey , as if melted . Epoisses has a strong and meaty taste , and is often paired with Burgundy or a whitened wine that is considered spicy - tasting .
Epoisses is also sometimes compared to Munster , another stinking cheese that hails from France , which has an aroma that ’s often compared to a barnyard . Like Epoisses , Munster is meaty in taste and also salty , while its grain tends to semi - easygoing , almost like butter .
3: Pont l’Evêque
name after the specific region in Normandy , France where it ’s manufactured , the cheese known as Pont l’Evêque – which translate to " Bishop ’s Bridge " – traces back to the 12thcentury , making it one of the erstwhile Norman cheeses still in production . Some might indicate that it sense ancient as well , but that barn - comparable aroma in the main lives in its rind , which turns from yellow - orange to loss as it ages . If you remove the rind , you may recover it easier to enjoy its creamy taste , full of hazel and fruity undertones . As is the case with most subdued cheeseflower , Pont l’Evêque is best service at elbow room temperature – perhaps diffuse on a baguette and pair withciderorchampagne .
2: Limburger
One of the more normally bonk public figure in the realm of stinky cheeses , Limburger is a bit ill-famed : It was cited as the need for Teresa Ludwig ’s attempted suicide back in 1885 . The New Yorker judge to hurl herself off of a pier , supposedly because of her married man ’s changeless Limburger consumption . The cheese originated in what was once know as the Duchy of Limburg , an region that now includes part of Belgium , the Netherlands and Germany . Today , it is principally produced in Germany ; Wisconsin ’s Chalet Cheese Co - op is the only remain factory in the U.S. that still make it .
Limburger ’s smell is often compared to sweaty foot , which makes mother wit when you learn that the bacteria it ’s fermented with – b - linen paper – is also found on the human body and is responsible for creatingfoot odor . Those with a strong enough abdomen to move past this tall mallow ’s aroma will discover a bonkers flavor and a buttery grain , which go well with sliced apple and pear as well as a pallid ale , stout or merlot .
1: Stinking Bishop
Made popular in the " Wallace and Gromit " animated film series , where it was used to bring Wallace back from the numb , Stinking Bishop ( as its name suggests ) is one of the most pungent stinkycheesesand one of the oldest . Its root are believed to draw back to a cheese variety first arise by Cistercian monks during the 12th century , in the village of Dymock outside of London , England . Farmer Charles Martell moved to this country to create the modern - day diversity in 1972 , and his farm is now the only manufacturer of Stinking Bishop .
As is the type with many unpleasant-smelling cheeses , the scent is primarily attached to the rind , which is wash in ferment pear juice . Once you withdraw that rind , it ’s unruffled sailing to a soft , creamy grain and salty , meaty flavor , which works well when accompanied by bread and a dessertwine , such as ice wine-colored or larboard .
