The Stinkiest Cheeses in the World世界上最臭的奶酪

Some cheeses pack just a hint of funk1. Think Bruno Mars. Others pack heaps of it—more along the lines of2 James Brown. The latter category includes the stinky cheeses we’re melting for lately， and we’re not alone.

有些奶酪略有味道，就像布鲁诺·马尔斯的音乐；还有些奶酪则味道十足，更像詹姆斯·布朗的音乐。后者就包括我们最近沉迷的臭奶酪，而且并非只有我们对臭奶酪情有独钟。

“Stinky cheeses are some of my favorite cheeses. A little bit， even an ounce， can be as satisfying as an eight-ounce steak，” says Steve Jones， owner at Cheese Bar in Portland， Oregon.

史蒂夫·琼斯是俄勒冈州波特兰市奶酪专卖店“奶酪吧”的老板。他说：“我最喜欢的奶酪里就有几种臭奶酪。只需一点儿，哪怕就一盎司，也能让我像吃了八盎司的牛排那样满足。”

In general， stinky cheeses contain some common characteristics， explains Josh Windsor， assistant caves3 manager at Murray’s Cheese in New York City.

乔希·温莎就职于纽约市的奶酪专卖店“默里奶酪”，是负责管理奶酪熟成洞穴的副经理。他解释说，臭奶酪通常有一些共同特征。

“All of these are in a category known as washed rind or smear-ripened cheese， which means they are washed in a brine solution during the aging process. Washing the cheese helps remove the mold that would naturally grow on the cheese， and the use of a brine solution creates an environment that favors salt-tolerant microbes，” he says.

他说：“所有臭奶酪都属于洗皮奶酪，或称涂抹熟成奶酪，也就是说这类奶酪在熟成过程中用盐水洗浸过。洗浸有助于去除奶酪上自然生长的霉菌，同时盐水也会创造有利于耐盐微生物生长的环境。”

Among those salt-tolerant microbes are yeasts that help deacidify the rind of the aging cheese， Windsor adds. The resulting environment is ideal to develop bacteria known as orange-forming coryneforms， which lends the pungent aromas to washed rind cheese. （You may also see these referred to as Brevibacterium linens.）

温莎补充道，耐盐微生物中的酵母菌有助于奶酪在熟成过程中外皮脱酸，由此形成有利于橙色棒状杆菌生长的理想环境，而橙色棒状杆菌会为洗皮奶酪增添刺激性气味。（橙色棒状杆菌也叫亚麻短杆菌。）

Here are seven full-on4 funky kinds of stinky cheeses that smell strong and taste amazing.

以下是七款臭味十足的奶酪，它们闻起来刺鼻，但吃起来惊艳。

1. U Pecorinu

1. U Pecorinu

“Don’t let the initial aroma scare you off，” Windsor warns of the sheep’s milk variety. “My first real experience with funky cheese was the Corsican stinker U Pecorinu. I ordered it at a restaurant and could smell it coming from 20 feet away. On my first bite， I asked， ‘How can anyone eat this？’ And by my third bite， I had already ordered seconds. It was a big step toward making cheese a full-time career for myself.”

“不要被一开始闻到的气味吓跑。”说起这款羊乳奶酪，温莎提醒道，“我第一次亲口吃到的臭奶酪就是来自科西嘉岛的臭味王U Pecorinu。我在一家餐馆点了一份，隔着20英尺都能闻到它的气味。吃下第一口，我不禁发问：‘怎么会有人吃这种东西？’吃到第三口时，我已经点了第二份。这次经历是我朝全职从事奶酪制作迈出的巨大一步。”

This bright orange-rind oozy sheep’s milk cheese is a stinky exhibition of the rustic mountain environment in its home region of Corsica. “Barnyardy5” might be a phrase to best describe this stinky cheese.

这款色鲜质软的橙皮羊乳奶酪气味浓烈，能展现出原产地科西嘉岛质朴的山地环境。用“农场气息”来形容这款臭奶酪也许最为恰当。

2. Hooligan

2. Hooligan

This buttermilk washed-rind cheese is beefy， nutty， and yet milder than you might imagine. Cato Corner Farm in Connecticut makes this stinky cheese with milk from pasture-raised cows. Similar to wine， good cheeses have terroir6 and reflect something about where they’re created. And here， it’s a matter of the grass the cows chow down on and the microflora hanging out in the aging cave that impact what lives and grows on the rind.

这款脱脂牛乳洗皮奶酪口感厚实，有坚果味，但味道比想象的要温和。康涅狄格州的卡托科纳农场用牧场放养奶牛的牛奶制作这种臭奶酪。和葡萄酒一样，好的奶酪也自带风土滋味，可以反映出产地的特色。Hooligan展现的就是奶牛大快朵颐的牧草，以及附在奶酪熟成洞穴中的微生物群落，两者都会影响奶酪外皮上存活和生长的微生物。

“This cheese is unpasteurized，” Jones says， which you may see listed as “raw” on the label. “For the most part， unpasteurized cheeses have more layers of flavor and more nuanced flavors along the spectrum， be it sweet or salty. Think of it like listening to music with clearer speakers.”

“这款奶酪未经灭菌。”琼斯说，因此可以在标签上看到“生奶酪”字样。“在大多数情况下，无论甜咸，未经灭菌的奶酪味道更富于层次，每个层次间的差别更加微妙，吃起来就如同用音质更清晰的扬声器听音乐。”

3. Limburger

3. 林堡奶酪

“It smells like feet！” is a common refrain7 about Limburger， a semi-soft8 cow’s milk cheese that originated in Belgium. Today， Germany is responsible for the majority of Limburger production. While it smells strong， this pale orange-rind flavor is quite mild （you might notice a hint of grassiness or umami， like mushrooms） due to pasteurization.

“闻起来就像脚臭味！”这是人们评价林堡奶酪时常说的话。这款半软质牛乳奶酪起源于比利时。如今，德国是林堡奶酪的主要产地。外皮呈淡橙色的林堡奶酪尽管气味浓烈，但因经过灭菌处理，味道相当温和（你可能会尝出一丝青草味或者蘑菇等食物的鲜味）。

“Strong， stinky cheeses are fantastic on their own. They offer a great complexity of flavors with a lot of meaty umami，” Windsor says. “That being said， I have a warm place in my heart for an open-face sandwich made with a dark， rye bread and slathered9 with mustard and a smelly washed rind cheese. Limburger and Hooligan work great for these sandwiches.”

“臭味浓烈的奶酪本身就很好吃。它们的味道非常复杂，有浓郁的肉鲜味。”温莎说，“话虽如此，我心心念念的还是用黑麦面包做一个单片三明治，上面涂上厚厚的芥末和难闻的洗皮奶酪。林堡奶酪和Hooligan非常适合拿来做这样的三明治。”

4. Ardrahan

4. 阿德勒汉奶酪

Happy cows， tasty cheese. Ardrahan， a type of semi-soft cheese with a gold hue and a washed rind， is made from pasteurized milk from pedigree Friesian cows that wander around and graze on a calm Irish farm. Slightly acidic， yet buttery and savory all at once， this soft and sticky cheese smells rustic and earthy—a nod to the long rainy seasons that help grow those grasses.