Monday, June 27, 2011

What Is The Most Stinky Cheese?

What Is The Most Stinky Cheese?

Everybody seems to love cheese. Whether they are using it as a topping for another food, to hide their veggies in or if they use it as the most simple dinner for one it is still a favorite. There is one thing about this food that doesn't seem to be as universally loved as the taste, and that is the smell.

It's important that you know the smelliest cheeses come from Europe and mainly France. This is not a slam against these countries by any measure, more a knock against the American cheeses. Europe still uses raw milk and different aging techniques which allow for the exquisite taste and strong smells. For instance, one of the smelliest cheeses you can get is a true Meunster, often dubbed Monster. It comes from the region of Alsace in France. This is much richer, with subtle, unique flavors from grass fed cows and their raw milk compared to the American Muenster.

Limburger comes mainly from Germany and can be considered a common stinky cheese. The bacteria that is used to make Limburger is somewhat responsible for people's body odor. This is why it can be considered apt to describe the scent as similar to dirty socks! But don't let that keep you from trying this, once you get past the smelly rind this cheese can have a delicate buttery cream consistency, combined with a taste that's slightly nutty.

Two of the more common stinky varieties readily available in the USA are Brie and Bleu. Most people use Bleu cheese only as toppings and or for stuffing. But it can be quite tasty on top of a cucumber with a little red onion. There are tons of types of this and all seem to vary in the way they smell and their pungent taste. Of course these can be quite pricey but if you actually purchase a brick you save money over the crumbles.

Brie comes in tons of types and is a fabulous dip when served warm, especially from a bread bowl. It's often combined with apples for dipping but other fruits can go quite nicely also. I have been delighted with the combination of sweet and tangy when dipping strawberries or grapes in Brie. It's also quite nice sliced with the rind still on and spread over crackers or bread.

These rich smelly cheeses may cost more but in the end their taste is so powerfully delicious you won't overindulge in the same manner that's possible when the flavor is blander.

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