Washed Rind Cheeses

What is a Washed Rind Cheese? The simple answer is any cheese whose rind is washed. But why does the Cheesemaker decide to wash a rind? To protect the rind and to promote the growth of healthy bacteria that may enhance to quality and flavor of the cheese. That’s the simple answer…

While setting-up shops and training the Cheese Stewards for Murrays, we discussed several cheese families including Washed Rinds. Oddly, we mostly concentrated on the softer cheeses of this category. When I think of Washed Rind cheeses, I think of Taleggio. (Those of you who worked with me, may recall The Man’s comments re this iconic Italian cheese.) Many think of Limburger. I must confess, I have never smelled nor tasted Limburger.

The softer cheeses in this category in addition to Taleggio and Limburger include cheeses that are often referred to as “Trappist” cheeses. Cheeses created by the monks of France and Belgium, in particular. In my class I would reference that the monks had given up meat, speaking and sex which meant all they had left was… Cheese… Talk about dedication and dull… but I digress… Cheese probably did fill the void left by the absence of meat, satisfying the umami hunger in us carnivores. The local monasteries of the time were self-sufficient. They grew and produced what they needed and sold the excess to the local towns.

While making cheese, the monks noticed growth of mould they didn’t want and they began washing the rind with liquid. They may have used a saltwater brine but many used the beer and liqueurs they produced at the monastery. This washing, probably more a gentle rubbing with a damp cloth or brush, produced a friendly bacterium, Brevibacterium linens, among others. B. linens created the orange color and the pungent smell. The smell is a result of the Sulphur compounds created as the bacterium grow,* which may have been the beginning of the term “Stinky Cheese”.

The smell can be subtle, like Timanoix to pungent like Munster. However, once you past the smell, you’ll usually discover a much milder, sublime-tasting cheese. when I worked the cheese counter, a favorite for clients, especially children was Chaumes, which Liz Thorpe would consider a “gateway” cheese. As I have preached many time here, her book, The Book of Cheese, is a must read for both the Enthusiast and the Professionals in the cheese world.

The second category of cheeses that includes a  “washing” step in aging is Alpine cheeses. The humidity of the mountains promoted the growth of unwanted mould and the cheesemakers turned to washing with a salt brine. A side benefit to the washing was a subtle addition of salt into the paste of the cheese. You won’t find the orange color, but there is a whiff of the damp smell from the rinds of these cheeses. I noticed it more with Gruyere AOP than many of the other Alpines. In 2011, while touring Roth Cheeses, I had the opportunity to brine brush the wheels of their Grand Cru, which at the time were still called Gruyere. Once Emmi purchased Roth, the use of Gruyere was retired and now only used for the protected cheese made in Switzerland.

Up next: Overview of Goudas.

*https://www.thecourtyarddairy.co.uk/blog/cheese-musings-and-tips/what-is-a-washed-rind-cheese-and-why-do-they-smell/

In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

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Cheese events at Sweet Combs of Honey will begin again in the next several weeks. Enjoy your summer vacation!!

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