Natural, washed, and bloomy rinds — how these three cheese rind types form, what they're like, and how they shape the cheese.
A cheese's rind tells you a lot about how it was made and what to expect. Here's a comparison of the three main rind types: natural rind vs. washed rind vs. bloomy rind.
Why Rinds Matter
A cheese's rind — its outer surface, formed during aging — reveals how the cheese was made and shapes its flavor, aroma, and character. The three main rind types — natural, washed, and bloomy — form by different processes and produce very different cheeses. Understanding them helps you anticipate a cheese's qualities and recognize its style. Here's how natural, washed, and bloomy rinds compare and what each tells you about the cheese.
Bloomy Rind
Bloomy-rind cheeses have a soft, white, fuzzy rind formed by a mold (usually Penicillium candidum) sprayed on or added to the cheese, which "blooms" into a velvety white coating. The mold ripens the cheese from the outside in, softening the paste and developing earthy, mushroomy flavors. Examples: brie, Camembert, and triple-creams. So bloomy-rind cheeses are the soft, white-rinded, creamy cheeses — mild to earthy, with edible white rinds. The bloomy rind signals a soft, surface-ripened cheese that gets creamier and more flavorful as it ripens. These are among the most familiar and approachable cheeses.
Washed Rind
Washed-rind cheeses have their surface washed during aging with brine (and sometimes beer, wine, or spirits), which encourages specific bacteria (like Brevibacterium linens) to develop a sticky, orange-red rind and a pungent aroma. These cheeses are often strongly aromatic (sometimes "stinky") but can taste milder than they smell — savory, meaty, and rich. Examples: Époisses, Munster, Taleggio, Limburger, Reblochon. So washed-rind cheeses are the orange-rinded, pungent, savory cheeses — bold in aroma, rich in flavor. The sticky orange rind and strong smell signal a washed-rind cheese, ranging from gently to powerfully pungent. These are the "stinky cheeses."
Natural Rind
Natural-rind cheeses develop their rind naturally as the cheese's surface dries and ages, without added mold or washing (though natural molds and microbes may colonize it). These rinds are typically firm, dry, and rustic, often gray, brown, or mottled, and form on many hard and semi-hard cheeses and tommes. Examples: many aged cheddars (clothbound), Tomme de Savoie, aged Goudas, and hard cheeses generally. So natural-rind cheeses are the firm, rustic-rinded cheeses — the rind forms by drying and natural aging. The dry, often mottled natural rind signals an aged, hard or semi-hard cheese matured in the traditional way. These rinds vary from thin to thick and crusty.
How They Compare
To compare: bloomy rinds are soft, white, and fuzzy (mold-formed), on soft creamy cheeses (brie); washed rinds are sticky and orange (brine-washed, bacteria-developed), on pungent savory cheeses (Époisses); and natural rinds are firm, dry, and rustic (formed by drying/aging), on hard and semi-hard cheeses (aged cheddar, tommes). In flavor, bloomy cheeses are mild-to-earthy and creamy, washed-rind cheeses are pungent and savory, and natural-rind cheeses are typically firmer and more straightforwardly aged. The rind type is a quick guide to a cheese's style, texture, and aroma — soft-and-white, sticky-and-pungent, or firm-and-rustic.
Eating the Rinds
The rind types differ in edibility. Bloomy rinds are edible and part of the cheese's flavor (eat the brie rind). Washed rinds are generally edible and carry much of the cheese's pungent flavor, though strong (some trim them). Natural rinds vary — thin natural rinds may be eaten, but thick, hard, or gritty ones are usually trimmed (and very hard rinds like Parmesan's are used in cooking rather than eaten). So bloomy and washed rinds are generally meant to be eaten (washed rinds being intense), while natural rinds are eaten or trimmed depending on the cheese. Knowing the rind type helps you decide whether to eat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between natural, washed, and bloomy rinds?
Bloomy rinds are soft, white, and mold-formed (on brie); washed rinds are sticky, orange, and brine-washed (on pungent cheeses like Époisses); natural rinds are firm, dry, and form by aging (on hard cheeses like aged cheddar).
Which rinds can you eat?
Bloomy rinds are edible and flavorful; washed rinds are generally edible but intense; natural rinds vary — thin ones may be eaten, thick or hard ones are usually trimmed.
What does the rind tell me about a cheese?
The rind type reveals the cheese's style: bloomy means soft and creamy, washed means pungent and savory, and natural means a firmer, traditionally aged hard or semi-hard cheese.