Washed rind
A cheese whose rind is washed with brine, beer, wine or spirit as it ages, giving a sticky orange crust and strong smell.
Also: croûte lavée, smear-ripened, stinky cheese
A washed-rind cheese is wiped, rubbed or dipped regularly with brine, sometimes mixed with beer, wine, cider or brandy, while it ripens. The damp, salty surface favours certain yeasts and bacteria, including Brevibacterium linens, which grow into a sticky orange to reddish smear and give these cheeses their famous pungent smell. Beneath the rind the paste is often surprisingly mild, supple and meaty. Époisses is washed with marc de Bourgogne; Munster, Maroilles, Livarot, Taleggio, Limburger, Langres and Vacherin Mont d'Or are washed with brine. Many were first made by monks. The smell is usually stronger than the taste.