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Stink Level: 9/10
Washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Burgundy. It gives off a scent described as barnyard, ammonia, fermented, cellar, with a taste that’s salty, creamy, tangy, savory, and a texture that’s orange rind, gooey interior, sticky, soft. It’s often enjoyed spread on bread, served with berries, paired with pinot noir.
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Spread on bread.
- Served with berries.
- Paired with Pinot Noir.
Ever crossed paths with this cheese? Leave a comment and tell us what tempted you—or held you back.
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Stink Level: 6/10
Soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese with bloomy rind. It gives off a scent described as earthy, mushroomy, vegetal, ammonia, with a taste that’s buttery, nutty, creamy, mild tang, and a texture that’s white rind, creamy inside, soft, runny when ripe. It’s often enjoyed baked whole, served with apples or nuts, paired with cider or champagne.
Other names: Camembert de Normandie
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Baked whole.
- Served with apples or nuts.
- Paired with cider or Champagne.
Is this one still on your must-try list? Share your ranking in a comment.
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Stink Level: 6/10
Crumbly cow’s milk blue cheese from Dorset. It gives off a scent described as musty, cellar, metallic, sharp, with a taste that’s peppery, tangy, salty, sharp, and a texture that’s crumbly, dry, veined with blue mold. It’s often enjoyed used in leek soup, crumbled on salads, paired with dark ale or cider.
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Used in leek soup.
- Crumbled on salads.
- Paired with dark ale or cider.
Does this name spark curiosity or fear? Add a comment with your first reaction.
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Stink Level: 10/10
Washed-rind cow’s milk cheese washed in Marc de Bourgogne. It gives off a scent described as fermented, barnyard, wet socks, funky, with a taste that’s rich, salty, creamy, umami, and a texture that’s orange sticky rind, soft and runny inside. It’s often enjoyed spread on rustic bread, served with figs or berries, paired with burgundy pinot noir.
Other names: Epoisses | Epoisses de Bourgogne | Époisses de Bourgogne
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Spread on rustic bread.
- Served with figs or berries.
- Paired with Burgundy Pinot Noir.
If you met this cheese, what happened next? Comment with your story.
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Stink Level: 7/10
Semi-soft cow’s milk cheese with washed rind. It gives off a scent described as pungent, yeasty, slightly sour, with a taste that’s mildly spicy, buttery, earthy, and a texture that’s pale yellow, small holes, smooth and semi-soft. It’s often enjoyed melted on rye bread, grilled cheese, paired with lager or light red wine.
Other names: Danish Port Salut
On the nose
On the tongue
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Melted on rye bread.
- Grilled cheese.
- Paired with lager or light red wine.
Someone told you about this one? Drop a comment and let us know who.
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Stink Level: 8/10
American washed-rind cow’s milk cheese. It gives off a scent described as yeasty, fruity, pungent, fermented, with a taste that’s meaty, buttery, tangy, savory, and a texture that’s moist, reddish rind, semi-soft interior. It’s often enjoyed spread on rye toast, with pickles or salami, paired with lager.
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Stink Level: 10/10
Famous washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Belgium/Germany. It gives off a scent described as body odor, sweaty socks, feet, ammonia, with a taste that’s mild, tangy, salty, earthy, and a texture that’s orange-brown rind, creamy interior, sticky. It’s often enjoyed served on rye with onions and mustard, paired with bock beer.
On the nose
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Served on rye with onions and mustard.
- Paired with bock beer.
Smelled it but didn’t bite? Share your reason in a comment.
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Stink Level: 9/10
Washed-rind cow’s milk cheese wrapped in reed strips. It gives off a scent described as barnyard, smoky, meaty, pungent, with a taste that’s intense, beefy, salty, creamy, and a texture that’s orange sticky rind, soft and dense interior, reed wrapped. It’s often enjoyed spread on toast, served with cider or normandy calvados.
Other names: The Colonel | Livarot cheese
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Spread on toast.
- Served with cider or Normandy Calvados.
Curious or cautious? Let us know where you stand in a comment.
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Stink Level: 9/10
Washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Alsace-Lorraine. It gives off a scent described as barnyard, sour milk, fermented, meaty, with a taste that’s salty, tangy, pungent, creamy, and a texture that’s orange sticky rind, soft ivory paste, moist. It’s often enjoyed served with cumin seeds, potatoes, paired with gewürztraminer.
Other names: Minschterkaas | münster | Munster-géromé
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Served with cumin seeds.
- Served with potatoes.
- Paired with Gewürztraminer.
Ever googled this cheese at midnight? Tell us in a comment.
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Stink Level: 6/10
Semi-soft cow’s milk cheese from Auvergne. It gives off a scent described as mildly pungent, earthy, lactic, with a taste that’s buttery, mild, mushroomy, tangy, and a texture that’s pale yellow paste, thin natural rind, semi-soft. It’s often enjoyed melted in gratins, with potatoes or charcuterie, paired with côtes d’auvergne red.
Other names: Tomme du Pavin
On the nose
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Melted in gratins.
- With potatoes or charcuterie.
- Paired with Côtes d'Auvergne red.
What’s the word on this cheese in your circle? Leave a comment and let us know.
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Stink Level: 7/10
Soft cow’s milk cheese from the Pyrenees. It gives off a scent described as earthy, milky, mushroomy, tangy, with a taste that’s mildly sweet, creamy, grassy, nutty, and a texture that’s wrinkled rind, soft interior, ivory paste. It’s often enjoyed served with dried fruits, crusty bread, paired with white bordeaux.
On the tongue
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Served with dried fruits.
- Served with rusty bread.
- Paired with white Bordeaux.
Heard of it, seen it, avoided it? Tell us why—or why not—in a comment.
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Stink Level: 7/10
Soft washed-rind cow’s milk cheese in square form. It gives off a scent described as earthy, nutty, grassy, mild funk, with a taste that’s mildly salty, creamy, grassy, nutty, and a texture that’s orange-beige rind, soft and springy texture. It’s often enjoyed served with pear or honey, on warm toast, paired with cider.
Other names: Pont-l'évêque cheese
On the tongue
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Served with pear or honey.
- On warm toast.
- Paired with cider.
Does this cheese come with a family story? Add a comment—we’d love to hear it.
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Stink Level: 8/10
Semi-hard washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from the Alps. It gives off a scent described as nutty, funky, sour milk, savory, with a taste that’s melted, nutty, rich, earthy, and a texture that’s pale yellow, semi-firm, melts easily. It’s often enjoyed melted over potatoes or meats, paired with white swiss fendant wine.
Other names: Swiss Raclette
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Melted over potatoes or meats.
- Paired with white Swiss Fendant wine.
Is it the name, the look, or the legend that gets you? Tell us in a comment.
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Stink Level: 5/10
Soft mixed-milk cheese (cow, sheep, goat). It gives off a scent described as mild, lactic, mushroomy, grassy, with a taste that’s tangy, creamy, buttery, slightly sharp, and a texture that’s white rind, creamy and spreadable interior. It’s often enjoyed served with truffle honey, figs, crackers, paired with barbera.
Other names: Robiola Piemonte
On the tongue
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Served with truffle honey.
- Served with figs.
- Served with crackers.
- Paired with Barbera.
Have friends dared you to try this one? Leave a comment and tell us how it went
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Stink Level: 8/10
Austrian washed-rind cow’s milk cheese. It gives off a scent described as musty, fermented, sour, meaty, with a taste that’s sharp, nutty, salty, strong, and a texture that’s orange rind, creamy center, soft and sticky. It’s often enjoyed used in open-faced sandwiches, served with pickles, paired with grüner veltliner.
Other names: Schlosskäse
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Used in open-faced sandwiches.
- Served with pickles.
- Paired with Grüner Veltliner.
Did you almost try it once? That counts—drop a comment.
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Stink Level: 9/10
Washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Burgundy. It gives off a scent described as ammonia, sulfur, barnyard, intense, with a taste that’s creamy, strong, salty, pungent, and a texture that’s sticky orange rind, soft and gooey interior. It’s often enjoyed spread on baguette, served with grapes or berries, paired with white burgundy.
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Spread on baguette.
- Served with grapes or berries.
- Paired with white Burgundy.
Does it haunt you from the market shelf? Comment with your cheese anxiety.
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Stink Level: 10/10
Washed-rind cow’s milk cheese washed in perry. It gives off a scent described as rotten fruit, wet socks, fermented pear, with a taste that’s soft, savory, buttery, fruity tang, and a texture that’s moist, orange-brown rind, creamy inside. It’s often enjoyed eaten with crusty bread, paired with perry or english cider.
On the nose
On the tongue
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- With crusty bread.
- Paired with perry or English cider.
What’s stopping you—or what convinced you? Leave a comment and explain.
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Stink Level: 7/10
Soft washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Lombardy. It gives off a scent described as fruity, yeasty, mild funk, musty, with a taste that’s mild, creamy, tangy, fruity, and a texture that’s orange-pink rind, soft creamy interior. It’s often enjoyed melted in risotto or polenta, served with figs, paired with nebbiolo.
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Melted in risotto or polenta.
- Served with figs.
- Paired with Nebbiolo.
Would you pair it with courage or crackers? Give us your take in a comment.
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Stink Level: 5/10
Pressed cow’s milk cheese with natural or waxed rind. It gives off a scent described as mild, nutty, earthy, cellar, with a taste that’s buttery, nutty, mild, slightly sweet, and a texture that’s black or brown rind, semi-firm yellow paste. It’s often enjoyed served with nuts and ham, grated in casseroles, paired with madiran.
Other names: Tomme de chèvre de l'Île de Ré
On the tongue
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Served with nuts and ham.
- Grated in casseroles.
- Paired with Madiran.
Think it deserves a second chance? Share your opinion in a comment.
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Stink Level: 10/10
Mini washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Burgundy. It gives off a scent described as intensely funky, fermented, barnyard, with a taste that’s salty, rich, concentrated, creamy, and a texture that’s tiny round, sticky orange rind, runny inside. It’s often enjoyed served solo with crusty bread, paired with chablis.
On the nose
On the tongue
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Served with crusty bread.
- Paired with Chablis.
Do you know someone who loves this? Comment and tell us about them.
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Stink Level: 10/10
Salted and aged washed-rind cow’s milk cheese. It gives off a scent described as ammonia, fishy, pungent, overpowering, with a taste that’s salty, sharp, creamy, lingering, and a texture that’s reddish rind, firm and dense interior. It’s often enjoyed crumbled into potatoes or eggs, served with beer.
Other names: Puant de Lille
On the nose
To the eye (and touch)
Best enjoyed…
- Crumbled into potatoes or eggs.
- Served with beer.
Still thinking about it? Leave a comment and share what’s on your mind.
