Cheese of the Month - Smells Like Compost, Taste Great

The other day at Trader Joe's I was in search of a different cheese so I bought a wedgie of Rougette, a triple cream cheese from Germany. I knew nothing about it but it looked like a brie with an orange-tinted rind and figured it was worth a try. Before dinner I put out this cheese with a couple others as an appetizer and I was struck by the piercing stench that filled the air. Our friends Mark and Stacy were visiting with their 18 month old and they, along with the wife, refused to give it a try. I can't blame them, the aroma was probably a ringer for their daughter's soiled diaper. To me the smell was somewhere between rotting garbage and sweaty socks, but I had to try it. And it was delicious, tasting like brie with a little kick. The smell is so strong that it penetrates the ziploc bag I'm keeping it in and I'm disgusted with it until the cheese actually hits my tongue. The smells bad-tastes great paradox is one of the strangest in the culinary world and I'm sure many people miss out on some great cheese because of it. If you are somewhat adventurous, give Rougette a try. It was about $9/pound.