The smellier the better right? Soft washed rind cheeses are definitely an acquired taste for those who aren’t born into it. Since this type of cheese finds its roots in monastic France, it’s not surprising that the French have mastered the art of the robust smelling cheese. Read on to find out what the smelliest washed rind cheeses from France are.
SEE ALSO: The complete guide to washed rind cheeses with examples from around the world →
What is a washed rind cheese?
The term “washed rind” can describe any cheese that has been washed with a liquid mixture during maturation. After the cheesemaker has formed their cheese, they moisten the outside (rind) with a damp cloth or a brush. This process takes place at different intervals depending on the cheese and can vary from twice daily to once a week.
Overall, this process changes the conditions on the surface on the cheese to favour the growth of different types of bacteria. And those bacteria play a significant role in shaping the characteristics of the final cheese.
Why are washed rind cheeses so smelly?
Recent research has shown that the main species of bacteria that proliferate on the rind of washed cheeses is actually Brevibacterium aurantiacum.
B. aurantiacum is a subspecies of B. linens and thrives in a salty, moist and low acidity environment. And that is exactly what washed rind cheeses provide. Furthermore, the bacterium produces carotenoids that create the brick red/orange tinge on the cheese’s rind.
And it also makes a significant contribution to their unique aroma and flavour. You can read more about methionine, the colourless gas that is responsible for this unique smell by clicking here.
So, now that we’ve got the technical bits out of the way, let’s dive into our list of the smelliest washed rind cheeses from France. We’ve sorted them in alphabetical order.
1. Affidélice
We start our journey in Bourgogne with Affidélice. This small soft washed rind cheese is washed with a mixture containing brine and Chablis wine during maturation. As a result, it develops a gorgeous sticky orange rind.
Under the rind you will find a soft ivory-coloured paste with a chalky centre. Overall, the cheese’s aroma is quite robust with notes of barnyard and farmhouse. However, the flavour is not as pronounced as you might expect. Look out for a savoury and slightly meaty taste.
2. Claosou
Next, we have an oval shaped cheese that is wrapped in spruce bark, Claosou. What’s not to love about this artisanal cheese? This beautiful raw sheep’s milk cheese originates from Occitanie and is aged for up to three weeks. During this time, an affineur brushes each little cheese with a brine mixture.
Claosou develops a delicate cream-coloured rind and an oozy white paste. Its aroma is one of the mildest on this list with a certain woody quality. On the palate, Claosou tastes very sheepy with a touch of damp forest floor.
3. Coeur d’Arras
While we’re on the topic of unusual shaped cheeses, let’s talk about Coeur d’Arras. This gorgeous (romantic?) heart-shaped washed rind comes from Arras in Hauts-de-France. And a fun fact about this cheese is that the locals developed it for the annual Rat Festival.
Overall, this cheese has a very strong aroma that is reminiscent of dirty socks. You will find that this is a common trait for a lot of the cheeses on this list. Its flavour is surprisingly sweet and mild though with a resemblance to another cheese that is still to come on our list, Maroilles.
4. Epoisses
Without a doubt, Epoisses is France’s most famous washed rind cheese. This cow’s milk cheese finds its roots in Bourgogne at the start of the 16th century. And it gets its name from the village of Epoisses where a local community of Cistercian monks first developed its recipe.
To this day, cheesemakers wash wheels of Epoisses in Marc de Bourgogne during maturation.
Such is this cheese’s potent aroma that there is an urban legend going around France and the rest of the world that the local authorities banned it on the metro. But, once again, its flavour is surprisingly mild and complex. You can expect a range of flavours from savoury to meaty via spicy.
5. Grès des Vosges
Our second oval-shaped cheese is Alsace’s Grès des Vosges. Adorned with a fern leaf, this unique washed rind cheese is washed in a Kirsch solution during maturation. As a result, it develops a sticky, orange rind.
The aroma of Grès des Vosges is fairly comparable to Epoisses with a certain yeasty quality. On the other hand, its flavour is very different with notes of garlic, mushroom and cultured milk.
6. Langres
Made in the Champagne region, Langres is a cute little orange soft cheese with a wrinkly rind. During its ageing process, an affineur regularly washes it in a brine and annatto solution but never turns the cheese. Because of this, it grows a bright orange rind and forms a signature fontaine on top of the cheese.
Langres has a moderate yeasty aroma but delicate flavours of beef broth and bacon. Perhaps, this cheese is best known for its pairing with Champagne. Indeed, you can pour a splash of bubbly into the “fountain” at the top and let it seep through the cheese.
7. Livarot
At number 7, we find our first cheese from Normandie. Actually, the locals affectionately call this cheese “Le Colonel” because of the sedge strips that are traditionally wrapped around it. This soft washed rind cheese comes from the Calvados department and is regularly washed in a salt, culture and annatto mixture during maturation.
At 21 days, Livarot develops a soft paste under its potent rind. Overall, its flavour is savoury and fresh, with floral notes of straw, hay, animal and smoke.
8. Maroilles
As we mentioned earlier, Maroilles is another soft washed rind cheese from Hauts-de-France. Also known as Marolles, this square-shaped cheese originates from the abbey of Sainte-Humbert de Maroilles in the 18th century. To this day, the largely unchanged recipe requires cave-ageing and washing with a brine and culture solution.
Maroilles’s bright orange rind packs quite a punch on the aroma side. Your nose will detect damp cave, forest floor, wet brick and ammonia. And its flavour shows notes of hazelnut and sour milk.
9. Mont d’Or
Also known as Vacherin du Haut-Doubs, Mont d’Or is a seasonal soft washed rind cheese that is made above 700m in the Haut-Doubs region of France. During production, the cheesemakers wrap this cheese in a spruce bark and mature each cheese for a minimum of 21 days.
In that time, they regularly turn and brush the young cheese in a proprietary mixture. The end result is a soft cheese with a woody, earthy aroma.
Overall, it has a full, rich, sweet and grassy flavour with a slightly acidic finish. Because of its unique aroma and flavour, Mont d’Or is one of the most sought-after cheeses in the entire world.
10. Munster
Our second cheese from Alsace is also the region’s most famous one, Munster. Munster is a washed rind cheese that is made in the Vosges mountains in eastern France. The locals call it simply Munster or Munster Géromé.
Because it is washed in a brine mixture for 21 days, Munster develops a bright orange sticky rind and a very potent aroma. Your nose will detect notes of yeast and ammonia. Moreover, Munster has a rich, savoury and slightly tangy flavour. Its organoleptic characteristics make this washed rind one of the most robust ones from France.
11. Pavé de Calais
And we’re in Hauts-de-France again to find the aptly named Pavé de Calais. Indeed, this brick shaped cheese (formerly known as Brique des Flandres) is a creation of the Bernard brothers in Pas-de-Calais.
Due to its bright orange colour and brick shape, Pavé de Calais looks like the bricks used in the construction of most homes in the north of France.
Made with cow’s milk, Pavé de Calais has a bright yellow paste that softens beautifully as it ages. Overall, its aroma is very pronounced with hints of yeast and ammonia. And its flavour matches its aroma. Look out for brothy and meaty notes.
12. Pont L’Évêque
Next, we have a second cheese from Normandie, Pont L’Évêque. Actually, this historical cheese dates back to the 13th century when it was known as d’Angelot. Over time, it has evolved with slight modifications to the recipe and shape. Nowadays, it takes its current name from the small town of Pont-L’Evêque.
When young, this soft cheese is quite similar to Camembert. However, during the maturation process, the affineur regularly washes each wheel in brine for up to six weeks. As a result, a white-orange edible rind forms around the pâte and imparts a full-bodied aroma and flavour.
Once ripe, this AOP cheese will have a soft fudgy centre and a rich creamy finish. Both the flavour and aroma palette are reminiscent of the Normandie countryside.
13. Soumaintrain
Soumaintrain is a soft washed rind cheese made in Bourgogne, France. During maturation, the cheesemakers wash each little wheel of Soumaintrain in a secret brine mixture. As a result, the bacterium Brevibacterium aurantiacum proliferates on the surface and imports a gorgeous pink hue to the wrinkly rind.
Unlike other soft washed rind cheeses such as Epoisses and Maroilles, Soumaintrain is actually quite mild in aroma and flavour. Look out for those delicate floral notes in the aroma, and a subtle sweetness in the flavour.
14. Trou du Cru
Without a doubt, Trou du Cru is the smallest cheese on our list. Indeed, this orange soft washed rind cheese weighs in at 60 g (2 ounces) and is actually one of the world’s most expensive cheeses by weight.
Initially developed by Berthaut as a small format Epoisses, Trou du Cru is now recognised as an exceptional cheese in its own right.
Just like Epoisses, Trou du Cru is washed in Marc de Bourgogne and aged on straw mats to prevent its rind from sticking. Surprisingly, the cheese’s flavour is much milder than its yeasty aroma. On the palate, you can expect savoury and floral notes with a straw-like, boozy quality.
15. Vieux Boulogne
Have we left the best for last or what!? Unlike all of the washed rind cheeses on our list, Vieux Boulogne is washed in beer during ageing. This square-shaped cheese originates from Boulogne-sur-Mer in the Hauts-de-France.
After extensive lab testing by Dr Stephen White and his UK team in 2004, Vieux Boulogne was officially designated as the world’s smelliest cheese!
Due to the beer wash, Vieux Boulogne develops a reddish-orange sticky rind and a soft, elastic paste. Indeed, its aroma is spectacular with pronounced notes of mushroom, yeast and onions. As for its flavour, it is yeasty, malty, brothy and savoury.
Summary
Thank you for reading our post on the smelliest washed rind cheeses from France. Unsurprisingly, the French are masters at making soft washed rind cheeses and most of the cheeses on our list are available around the world.
So, what’s your favourite French washed rind cheese? Let me know in the comments.
Jonah is a a hipster, eco-warrior and slow food afficionado. Coming from a scientific background, Jonah has a particular interest in cheese science. And yes, he loves a good cheese pun!
