The Top 5 Stinky Cheeses You Should Know About

Stinky cheese presents an all out assault on your nose and can be quite unpleasant. Try eating ripe Epoisses on a bus in France and you risk bodily harm. However the taste is worth the trouble you might get into. You should always remember “no pain - no gain” when dealing with the stinkys. Here is a “stinky cheese” list with a few stinky cheeses you should get to know.

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The cheese stink rating is from highest to lowest.

1) Epoisses can be a knock you out type of “aroma”, and your guests may just think that you are into bad biology experiments. It has a soft gooey interior pate contained in its red-orange rind and comes in a small round wooden box. It has an incredible flavor that will delight even the most jaded cheese head. Always available
2) Stinking Bishop really lives up to its name and is not for the faint of heart ! This Cheese hails from jolly old England and is a pasteurized cow’s milk cheese. It’s rind is rubbed with pear juice and for its “aroma”, think of year old used gym socks. Luckily for cheese lovers the aroma is contained in its rind and once it is removed a truly delicious cheese is revealed. You may have to look hard to find this one.
3) French Munster has a higher stink rating and better flavor than the well known German version. Munster makes a great addition to a sandwich. Always available
4) Morbier has a high stink rating but the flavor is truly wonderful. It has a layer of vegetable ash running through its middle which imparts absolutely no flavor to the cheese. In the old days the ash was used to separate the cows morning milking from the evening milking, old traditions die hard thankfully. Always available
5) Taleggio is stinky but not overpowering, it has a soft pate and nice full flavor. If you notice some mold on the rind don't worry it does not affect the cheese inside. This one is getting easier to find.

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There are many other stinky cheeses but in my opinion these top the list. When having guests over prepare them in advance and try to help them overcome the fear and dread that these cheeses may instill. Hopefully your guests are close friends and they will forgive your for the sensory assault but I am sure they will enjoy the flavors that theses cheeses have to offer. Yes, I have omitted Limburger but that one was way too obvious and common.