Limburger Cheese

Known for its pungent smell all over, limburger cheese is a special variety which is more famous for its odor than its taste. Though it tastes delicious, there are people who cannot get over the odor of the cheese to experience its flavor which is excellent. Originated in the Limburg, Limburger cheese is fermented using a bacterium called Brevibacterium linens. It is the same bacterium which is found on human skin and is partly responsible for human body odor. The cheese has a strong and aggressive flavor and is very popular for both its smell and taste.  

 

Limburger cheese is soft and creamy with a soft inedible crust. The color of the cheese varies from creamy to pale yellow, with a darker orange crust. It tastes very strong, spicy and aromatic. The cheese also has a tinge of sweetness added to it. The cheese is best when full ripened and is used as spread able. It is also good when served with tinned fish, onions, crackers, fruits, and vegetables. The best bet for a Limburger cheese is on rye bread with raw onions and brown mustard.

 

Limburger cheese is usually prepared by heating the milk with rennet and special cultures. After getting warmer, the milk separates into whey, which is discarded, and curds, which are cut to release additional whey and then packed into molds for pressing. Customarily, Limburger is made in salted rectangular molds and allowed to ripen in high humidity for approximately two weeks. When the cheese gets ripened, the temperature is lowered and the cheese is aged for two to three months.

 

When the cheese is a month old it is usually much alike to the Feta cheese in its characteristics- is firm, crumbly and salty. At the end of six weeks the cheese softens on the exteriors but firm salty and chalky center. After a span of two months, the firm layer gives way to soft, creamy cheese with a soft inedible rind. After three months, the cheese transmits a strong pungent smell which is much like those of a smelly feet or molly boots.