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

卡拉·沃尔什/文　孙美萍/译

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 were melting for lately， and were 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 Murrays 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.）

溫莎补充道，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

“Dont let the initial aroma scare you off，” Windsor warns of the sheeps 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 sheeps 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 theyre created. And here， its 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.”

“這款奶酪未经灭菌。”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 cows 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.

美味的奶酪源于快乐的奶牛。阿德勒汉奶酪是一款金色的半软质洗皮奶酪。纯种黑白花奶牛在平静的爱尔兰农场上漫步吃草，它们产的奶经灭菌后便可用于制作阿德勒汉奶酪。这款奶酪味道微酸，同时夹杂着黄油味和咸味，口感软黏，闻起来颇具乡间泥土的气息——这是在向滋养牧草的漫长雨季致意。

“Stinky cheeses have a real propensity to being baked. Try them baked into croutons， or use it to lend depth to grilled cheese10. Baked potatoes topped with bacon lardons and melted stinky cheese are one of my favorite options， too，” Jones says. “These cheeses are real-ly great with beers and white wine.”

“臭奶酪真的很适合烤着吃。可以尝试把各种臭奶酪抹在面包块上烤着吃，或者用来给烤奶酪三明治增添风味。烤土豆上盖几片法式培根，再浇上融化的臭奶酪，这也是我最爱的搭配之一。”琼斯说，“臭奶酪搭配啤酒和白葡萄酒简直美味极了。”

5. Stinking Bishop

5. 臭主教奶酪

Historically made by monks， Stinking Bishop is still aged in conditions that mimic a humid cave， just as the monks made it. This pasteurized soft cows milk cheese is created in England from dairy taken from either Friesian or Gloucester cows. The rind is where this stinky cheese gets its name. For a stinky aroma and brownish-pink hue， its rinsed in Perry， a boozy beverage that features fermented Stinking Bishop pear juice. Its flavor is slightly salty and meaty.

历史上，臭主教奶酪由僧侣制作，而现在人们效仿僧侣的做法，让奶酪在模拟潮湿洞穴的环境中熟成。臭主教奶酪是经过灭菌处理的软质牛乳奶酪，原产自英格兰，所用牛乳源自黑白花奶牛或格洛斯特奶牛。臭主教奶酪得名于其外皮。因用梨酒洗浸过，这款奶酪散发着浓烈臭味，外皮呈棕粉色。梨酒是高浓度酒精饮品，主要成分为当地臭主教梨榨出来的汁。臭主教奶酪略带咸味和肉味。

Jones says this stinky cheese “is amazing with a good baguette or brown bread.”

琼斯说，这款臭奶酪“搭配法式长面包或全麦面包，吃起来实在惊艳”。

6. Greensward

6. 草皮奶酪

The American Cheese Society has awarded this as the “best washed-rind cheese in the country，” Murrays Cheese declares on its website. We can understand why： Its silky， oozy consistency and strong bacon flavor comes from washing the rind with lees from a Vermont cider thats made near where the cows are raised （Jasper Hill Farm）. The orange rind pungent cheese transports your palate to a cidery， just like the big city oasis transports you out of the hustle-bustle.

据默里奶酪官网上的消息，美国奶酪协会将草皮奶酪评为“全美最佳洗皮奶酪”。我们能理解其中原因：草皮奶酪的外皮经佛蒙特州苹果酒的酒渣洗浸，而这种酒就产自奶牛饲养地（贾斯珀山农场）附近。洗浸后的草皮奶酪口感丝滑、软黏，具有浓郁的培根味。这款味道刺鼻的橙皮奶酪能把你的味蕾带到苹果酒厂，就像大城市中的绿洲能把人带出喧嚣。

7. ?poisses

7. 埃普瓦斯奶酪

Burgundy， France， generates more than stellar11 wine. A wash with brandy gives this classic and custardy pasteurized cows milk cheese its fruity-meets-bacony flavor.

法国勃艮第不止出产一流的葡萄酒，类似蛋奶沙司的埃普瓦斯奶酪也产自这里。用白兰地洗浸后，这款经过灭菌的经典牛乳奶酪就有了水果味与熏肉味交杂的味道。

Follow Windsors lead when devouring this golden-rind cheese. “For something a little softer like Greensward or ?poisses， I will open up the top and dig in with a good cornichon，” he says.

向溫莎学学如何享用这款金皮奶酪吧！“对于软一点的奶酪，例如草皮奶酪或埃普瓦斯奶酪，我会挖开顶部，然后放一小块美味的酸黄瓜进去。”温莎说道。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者；单位：天津师范大学）

1 funk浓烈臭味；放克音乐。布鲁诺·马尔斯与詹姆斯·布朗都是放克音乐的代表性人物，后者更是放克音乐的缔造者。  2 along the lines of〈习语〉类似于。  3 此处指贮存奶酪供其充分发酵的洞穴。

4 full-on（表示最大程度）完全的；最强烈的。  5 barnyardy（尤指气味）农家的，农场气息的。

6 terroir风土，指土壤类型、地形特征、地理位置、光照条件、降水量、昼夜温差、微生物环境等影响作物生长的因素。  7 refrain经常重复的评价（或抱怨）。  8 半软质奶酪介于软质奶酪和硬质奶酪之间，也称半硬质奶酪。半软质奶酪不像硬质奶酪那样易碎，但比软质奶酪水分含量低。

9 slather厚厚地涂。

10 grilled cheese烤奶酪三明治，一种在黄油中烤或煎的奶酪三明治。

11 stellar一流的。