🟠 Washed-rind cheeses

Washed rind cheeses are cheeses whose rind is regularly rubbed or washed during ripening with brine, sometimes with beer, wine or brandy. On the moist, salty surface bacteria such as Brevibacterium linens grow, giving the rind an orange or reddish colour and a strong smell.

There is no separate Codex standard for this group: these cheeses fall under the General Standard for Cheese, CXS 283-1978, which covers ripened cheese. Many well-known varieties hold a protected designation of origin (PDO) in the EU under Regulation (EU) 2024/1143, listed in the eAmbrosia register.

The raw material is mostly cow's milk. It is set with rennet, the curd is cut, moulded and salted, and the cheeses then ripen in humid cellars. The rind is washed and the cheeses turned several times a week so the bacteria cover the surface evenly. The paste inside is usually soft or semi-soft, and the taste is milder than the smell suggests.

Well-known cheeses: Munster from Alsace and Lorraine; Époisses from Burgundy, washed with marc de Bourgogne; Livarot and Pont-l'Évêque from Normandy; Maroilles from northern France; Taleggio from Lombardy; Herve from Belgium; Limburger from Germany and Belgium; Reblochon from Savoie.

How to choose and store: the rind should be slightly moist, evenly orange and free of deep cracks; the paste should be springy. Wrap the cheese in baking paper and keep it in a closed container in the fridge so the smell does not spread to other food. Serve at room temperature with bread, boiled potatoes or in bakes such as tartiflette with Reblochon. The rind can be eaten if you like it. For drink pairings see Wine and cheese.

Why it matters to you: the strong smell is the work of rind bacteria, not a sign of spoilage. Knowing this, you will not pass over cheeses with a rich yet mild taste. The NHS advises pregnant women to avoid soft cheeses made from raw milk; cheeses heated until steaming hot are considered safe.