Come on, admit it. You’ve all come across at least one cheese that smells like dirty socks. Whether you love them or not, read on to find our why some cheeses smell like feet.
SEE ALSO: The secret ingredient that makes cheese orange →
Brevibacterium aurantiacum: The bacteria behind it all
The reason why some cheeses smell like feet is quite an intriguing one.
Meet the bacterium that gives that distinct aroma to so many of our beloved smear-ripened. Brevibacterium aurantiacum is a harmless bacterium that lives on our skin. It particularly loves our feet and toes where it feeds on our dead skin cells to release a chemical called methanethiol.
Methanethiol is a colourless gas with a heavy sulphuric smell and is responsible for that distinct “foot odour” we are all familiar with. It thrives in salty and humid conditions.
What does all of this have to do with cheesemaking?
Whilst the smell it generates is not always pleasant (I have grown to love it!), the presence of this bacterium on the surface of cheeses such as Epoisses de Bourgogne, Raclette and Morbier plays a critical role in the texture and flavour development.
Because of this, the cheesemaker will often intentionally add Brevibacterium aurantiacum to the surface of their cheese after brining. Furthermore, colonies of B. aurantiacum also add a signature brick red/orange tinge to all the cheeses they live on.
The role of a cheesemaker and affineur (person who matures cheese) is to ensure that the intrinsic cheese properties (pH, water/salt content and size) and the environmental factors (humidity and temperature) allow the bacterial colonies to grow without becoming overbearing.
How is any of this related to our feet?
Most cheeses contain an amino acid called methionine. The bacterium breaks down this amino acid to produce methanethiol. And there you are! From different origins, we have ended up with the same chemical. And the same odour. So, this is why many cheeses smell like feet.
Now hold my cheese while I get rid of the rude guests who keep complaining about the smell in my kitchen!
Intrigued by Washed Rind cheeses and want to learn more about them? Click here for an awesome article by Marcella the Cheesemonger.
In fact, one type of bacteria, brevibacterium, lives in between the toes, thrives in a damp, salty environment, and produces the cheese-like smell of feet. That same bacteria is actually used in the cheese-creation process for Muenster, Entrammes, and Limburger cheeses.