Buzz
I’ve noticed that not everyone is indulging in their brie rind. This is a bit of a shame because brie rind is quite tasty—and if you're digging out the gooey center from a shared cheese platter, it's a little inconsiderate too. But even beyond brie, many people avoid perfectly good and often delicious rinds, and frankly, there's no reason to pass them up.
Avoid the wax
When I say 'rind,' I'm referring to the firm outer layer that forms as cheese ripens. I do not mean the red wax around your gouda or the cloth encasing your cheddar. While these inedible parts won’t harm you, they aren’t tasty either. (And definitely don’t eat the Babybel wax; I repurpose that for my art.)
Give the white rind a try (it's really tasty!)
As per Food & Wine, there are three primary types of rinds: bloomy, washed, and natural. The bloomy rind is the pale, white or off-white, slightly fuzzy layer you’ll find on soft cheeses (like brie), and it plays a key role in the cheese. (Yes, it’s all due to mold, but mold is what gives us cheese—and many beneficial antibiotics.) Not only is this rind tough to elegantly remove from the soft center, it also carries a delightful, earthy, rich flavor that's meant to be enjoyed as part of the whole cheese experience. Beyond brie, you should try eating the rind of camembert, American gems like Mt. Tam and Humboldt Fog, and anything with a French name that’s extra creamy and soft. (Serious Eats has a great list.)
However, if the rind has come loose from the cheese or shows dark mold spots, it’s best to skip it, as that’s not how it’s meant to be.
Orange you happy you ate it?
Washed rinds tend to be orange, sticky, and sometimes have a peculiar smell. Their flavor can vary, and I can’t guarantee you’ll love every washed cheese rind you try, but you might, especially with the soft washed rinds. After the cheese sets, it's bathed in a brine, often mixed with delightful ingredients like cider, wine, cognac, or beer, and sometimes covered in herbs, flowers, or ash. These thick, salty, and slightly meaty rinds are full of flavors carefully chosen by the cheesemaker, telling the story of the cheese. Cutting them off means you're missing out on a lot of flavor and being (a little) disrespectful. Taleggio is perhaps the most famous washed rind cheese, and while its aroma may initially challenge you, it’s worth tasting—rind and all—at least once.
Save it for stock.
Then there are the hard, natural cheeses. These include your Parmigiano Reggiano and other cheeses that were aged and air-dried, allowing a rind to naturally form. There's no harm in trying these, but they can be tough on the teeth (or simply bitter), and the more solid varieties are better suited for flavoring stock. It’s also worth mentioning that there can be some overlap between categories—while Gruyere is a washed rind cheese, its rind is extremely hard and not particularly fun to chew.
Then, there’s you.
You probably won’t like every rind you taste. In fact, some people find the brie rind—one of the most approachable rinds—off-putting. Deciding whether to eat a cheese rind is a personal choice, but do yourself a favor: Give it a try before you discard it. Like any food made through an intricate, almost artistic process, cheese has a story to tell, and the rind holds much of that narrative. Ultimately, no rind will harm you, so take a bite, make your decisions, and enjoy your cheese.
