Taste creamy

Vieux Lille

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

Best enjoyed...

Crumbled into potatoes or eggs.
Served with beer.

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Petit Fiancé des Pyrénées

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 nose

earthy, milky, mushroomy, tangy

On the tongue

creamy, grassy, mildly sweet, nutty

To the eye (and touch)

ivory paste, soft interior, wrinkled rind

Best enjoyed...

Served with dried fruits.
Served with rusty bread.
Paired with white Bordeaux.

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Livarot

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

On the nose

barnyard, meaty, pungent, smoky

On the tongue

beefy, creamy, intense, salty

To the eye (and touch)

orange sticky rind, reed wrapped, soft and dense interior

Best enjoyed...

Spread on toast.
Served with cider or Normandy Calvados.

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Munster

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

On the nose

barnyard, fermented, meaty, sour milk

On the tongue

creamy, pungent, salty, tangy

To the eye (and touch)

moist, orange sticky rind, soft ivory paste

Best enjoyed...

Served with cumin seeds.
Served with potatoes.
Paired with Gewürztraminer.

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Pont-l’Évêque

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 nose

earthy, grassy, mild funk, nutty

On the tongue

creamy, grassy, mildly salty, nutty

To the eye (and touch)

orange-beige rind, soft and springy texture

Best enjoyed...

Served with pear or honey.
On warm toast.
Paired with cider.

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Robiola

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 nose

grassy, lactic, mild, mushroomy

On the tongue

buttery, creamy, slightly sharp, tangy

To the eye (and touch)

creamy and spreadable interior, white rind

Best enjoyed...

Served with truffle honey.
Served with figs.
Served with crackers.
Paired with Barbera.

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Soumaintrain

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.

On the nose

ammonia, barnyard, intense, sulfur

On the tongue

creamy, pungent, salty, strong

To the eye (and touch)

soft and gooey interior, sticky orange rind

Best enjoyed...

Spread on baguette.
Served with grapes or berries.
Paired with white Burgundy.

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Taleggio

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.

On the nose

fruity, mild funk, musty, yeasty

On the tongue

creamy, fruity, mild, tangy

To the eye (and touch)

orange-pink rind, soft creamy interior

Best enjoyed...

Melted in risotto or polenta.
Served with figs.
Paired with Nebbiolo.

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Trou du Cru

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

barnyard, fermented, intensely funky

On the tongue

concentrated, creamy, rich, salty

To the eye (and touch)

runny inside, sticky orange rind, tiny round

Best enjoyed...

Served with crusty bread.
Paired with Chablis.

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Ami Du Chambertin

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.

On the nose

ammonia, barnyard, cellar, fermented

On the tongue

creamy, salty, savory, tangy

To the eye (and touch)

gooey interior, orange rind, soft, sticky

Best enjoyed...

Spread on bread.
Served with berries.
Paired with Pinot Noir.

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Camembert

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

On the nose

ammonia, earthy, mushroomy, vegetal

On the tongue

buttery, creamy, mild tang, nutty

To the eye (and touch)

creamy inside, runny when ripe, soft, white rind

Best enjoyed...

Baked whole.
Served with apples or nuts.
Paired with cider or Champagne.

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Époisses

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

On the nose

barnyard, fermented, funky, wet socks

On the tongue

creamy, rich, salty, umami

To the eye (and touch)

orange sticky rind, soft and runny inside

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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