Why You Should Be Eating Those Cheese Rinds
Photo credit: Jamie Watson, StockFood
Too often the rind of cheese is left discarded on a charcuterie plate, languishing without any love. And as one cheesemonger told Details in a recent article, “every rind should be tasted — unless it’s waxed, clothbound, or wrapped in foil.”
Truth. The rind: like the delicious cheese you love, only more so. There are bloomy rinds, washed rinds, blue cheese rinds, and ash rinds out there, all waiting for some affection. As the smart folks at Murray’s Cheese write on their primer page: ”If you’re not sure, eat your cheese from the inside out (meaning from the center of the cheese to the rind). The flavors will be stronger the closer you get to the rind, and if you don’t like the paste just beneath the rind, you probably won’t like the rind, either.”
Good to know, right? Here are seven types of fromage for which you will flip, rind and all.
Brillat-Savarin
Photo credit: Artisanal Cheese
Straight-up the king of the triple cremes, Brillat-Savarin has been called the cheese equivalent to ice cream. Sweet, buttery and impossibly smooth, with a barely-there rind. $29.99, iGourmet.com
Robiola La Tur
Photo credit: Artisanal Cheese
Another good starter for the rind-phobic, and gorgeous, to boot: Cow, goat and sheep milks blend together in a Piedmontese number that is somehow earthy and milky at once. Pair with a glass of Moscato d’Asti for extra awesome. $21, Artisanal Cheese.
Sottocenere
Even the toughest-to-impress food lover tends to be wowed by this Italian raw cow’s milk triangle laced with slivers of black truffle. Its rind is made of nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, licorice, cloves, and fennel, and it is fabulous with Champagne. $27.99, Murray’s Cheese.
La Peral
Photo credit: Artisanal Cheese
This rare Spanish cow and goat’s milk blue cheese boasts a craggy rind and a ton of earthy character. Gorgonzola lovers will be amazed at how nuanced it is. $22, Artisanal Cheese
Winnimere
We’ve already waxed poetic once about the charms of this raw milk cheese, but we’re happy to do so again: It’s been brushed with local Vermont-made beer, it’s creamy as all get out, and it’s barnyardy in the best of ways. $32.99, Murray’s Cheese
Époisses
Photo credit: StockFood
There are some beautiful “drooly” cheeses out there. And then there’s Époisses. Anyone who loves a drippy, pungent showstopper will love this one. $27, Artisanal Cheese
Vermont Creamery Coupole
Photo credit: Artisanal Cheese
Silky and sultry, this Vermont goat’s milk cheese is surprisingly unctuous—a fresh chèvre that might make you reconsider how nuanced goat cheese can be. Pair with crisp, chilled Sauv Blanc. $17.50, Artisanal Cheese