Cheese Rinds Are More Complicated Than You'd Think

At first glance, a cheese rind appears to be a simple outer layer holding a wheel of cheese together, and it may be something you often discard without thinking about. But there are three different types of rinds, many of which are edible and often help cheeses form their intriguing tastes. As a general rule, you're more likely to see rinds on aged cheeses rather than younger, fresh ones.

Some creamy cheeses, like Camembert and brie, have an outer skin that tends to be pale, fuzzy, and soft and is known as a bloomy rind. The coating forms when cheese mongers spray a solution containing a white-colored mold and a cream-colored fungus over the surface. Mold on food isn't always a bad thing — the bloomy rind actually adds an earthy, mushroom-like flavor to these cheeses. 

Washed rinds, which have been rinsed with brine or alcohol, may be red or orange in color and also have a robust flavor thanks to edible molds. Which cheeses get washed rinds? It's often stronger-smelling ones like taleggio or Gruyère. Then there are the rinds akin to a dried-up, thin crust — known as natural rinds — which you might find on parmesan or cheddar. Cheese mongers rub the skins of this sort with brine, salt, or oil as the cheese ages. Though some of these rinds are edible, you might find others to be overly hard or gritty.

While lots of cheese rinds are edible and taste good, others depend on the type of rind. Naturally, any obviously inedible rinds should not be eaten — if your cheese is wrapped in wax, cloth, or bark, discard that. Bloomy rinds are generally safe as long as the cheese hasn't spoiled. If the rind smells like or tastes like ammonia, or has separated from your favorite Camembert or other creamy cheese, you shouldn't eat it. 

With washed rinds, a strong smell doesn't indicate rottenness, since they naturally have a more punchy aroma. You can usually eat this kind of rind, unless it's unpleasantly salty or hard — but if it has turned brown or has cracked, you shouldn't eat it.

As for natural rinds, they can be a little too hard to simply eat, but that doesn't mean you need to waste them. A thick parmesan rind is great for enhancing canned soup, for example. Giada De Laurentiis adds a parmesan rind to marinara to add more flavor, too. Before serving, she simply removes the softened rind from the pot. You could also add a rind to risotto stock as it cooks for extra richness.