Washed-rind cheese facts for kids
Washed-rind cheeses are a special type of cheese. They get their unique taste and smell from being washed regularly. This washing helps certain tiny living things, called bacteria, grow on their surface. These cheeses can be either hard or soft. Sometimes, the softer ones are called "smear-ripened" cheeses.
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How Are These Cheeses Made?
To make washed-rind cheeses, cheesemakers regularly clean the cheese surface. They use a special liquid, often salty water called brine. Sometimes, this liquid also contains things like beer, wine, or spices.
This washing helps a specific type of bacteria grow. These bacteria are often called "reddish-orange smear bacteria." They give the cheese its strong smell and special taste. They also help create a firm, tasty rind (the outer skin) on the cheese.
Washed-rind cheeses can be soft, like Limburger. They can also be semi-hard or hard, like Appenzeller. The washing process needs to happen often, especially when the cheese is young. This makes it a lot of work compared to making other kinds of cheese.
Types of Washed-Rind Cheeses
There are many different kinds of washed-rind cheeses. They can be grouped into soft or hard types.
Soft Washed-Rind Cheeses
These cheeses are often called "smear-ripened" because of their soft, creamy texture.
- Brick cheese
- Limburger
- Mondseer
- Munster
- Maroilles
- Fontina
- Ardrahan
- Époisses
- Langres
- Herve
- Tilsit
- Pont-l'Évêque
Hard Washed-Rind Cheeses
These cheeses are firmer and often have a more intense flavor.
