Washed Rind Cheeses - When the weather gets cooler, I turn to washed rind cheeses. Their supple, sometimes oozy and flavorful paste, accompanied by a distinctive stink seems appropriate when there is a chill in the air.  Washed rind?  They're the stinkiest of any cheese you'll find in the shops; they're the ones that make you search your refrigerator for something that's gone bad.

Washed rind cheeses are bathed in a liquid solution-- normally a saltwater brine-- during their aging process (hence the term washed). The practice originated in monastic Medieval times, where there was plenty of wine, beer, and spirits available to those monks who busied themselves with, among other things, cheesemaking. Washing the outside of a cheese not only protected the interior paste by preventing the rind from cracking, but it also produced, they found, cheese with a meaty, more pungent flavor that was a surprisingly welcome replacement for meat during periods of religious fasting.

Washing in a brine or booze solution cultivates the growth of brevibacterium linens (or b. linens), a bacteria unique to washed rinds, that softens the acidity while producing a reddish/orange mold and a distinctive stink. The bacteria itself is smelly, which explains, in short, why the cheese becomes so, as well.

Washed rind cheeses should look moist, and there should be a slightly tacky texture to the rind. Cracking of the rind is probably an  indication of a ripe cheese if the interior is oozing from the cracks, in which case it may be perfectly fine (but should be eaten quickly). Depending on the age of the cheese, the interior should go from semi-soft to  soft and supple, or with some varieties, oozing and unctuous.

Use washed cheeses in a cheese plate, in an omelette, eaten with a crisp apple, or in a great grilled cheese or panini sandwich.

Here's some oozy favorites that are in the shops: 

Munster - from the Alsace. This cheese has absolutely no resemblance to the generic, American version of the cheese Muenster. The French version is a very highly aromatic cheese with a sticky, red colored rind. The pate is smooth and creamy the cheeses full and rich flavor is attributed to the baryardy, grassy, and herbaceous aroma generated from the brine rubbed rind. The milk used to make Munster comes from the Vosgiennes cows, a breed that was imported from Scandinavia in the 18th century.
Burrata and Bufala arrive in the shops today - Tomatoes are in great shape!!

Soumaintrain - (a larger sized version of Epoisses de Bourgogne)  Named after a small village in Burgundy, Epoisses is an AOC cows milk French cheese. The production of this cheese went nearly extinct in the 1930s but was revived in 1956 by the Berthaut creamery and the company continued to produce Epoisses today. Its rind is washed in brine and pomace brandy, creating an exteriors that a smooth reddish brown appearance. It is produced in both pasteurized and unpasteurized forms. It is one of the most aromatic cheeses produced and has a strong, pungent yet very creamy flavor.

Taleggio Taleggio is an Italian, washed rind, cows milk cheese from the Lombardy region in northern Italy. It is named after the Val Taleggio which is an Alpine valley in between the provinces of Bergamo and Lecco. It is a square shaped cheese that has an aromatic and brownish red colored rind that is slightly sticky in texture. The pate is ivory colored and creamy.  Taleggio is one of the oldest cheeses as it dates back to the 1200s. Each piece weighs around 4 pounds and are made in 10 inch squares and are about 2 inches thick. Its aroma is assertive and full. Its flavor is rich and beefy with salty undertones.

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