# Funky/complex/weird cheeses **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [June 17, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478 "2021-06-17T17:44:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/1 "2021-06-17T17:44:45Z")
Just had a terrific Camembert – soft and runny with a very complex flavor; a bit of bitterness, a bit of sour, and a whole lot of umami. What other cheeses have really complex or otherwise unusual flavors? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/2 "2021-06-17T19:59:32Z")
If you’re asking what cheeses taste like a hard-cooked egg that’s been kept in a wool sock in a footlocker in the sun for about a month…can’t help ya. But I’ll be interested in the responses you get. 🧀 I do like a mild Brie baked in the oven with butter-toasted almonds on top. I’m clearly not in your league. 🙇🏽‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/3 "2021-06-17T20:24:29Z")
I’ve had **[Stinking Bishop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinking_Bishop_(cheese))**. In fact the only time I’ve had it, I brought it to a party once. It’s really hard to find, smells like feet that need washing, but is actually very good. Can’t say that I’m dedicated to finding more, though. It was just an interesting experiment. I was interested in finding it after hearing a CBC Radio documentary about its quirkiness. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/4 "2021-06-17T21:05:55Z")
Depends how high the bar is set for weird. Jarlsberg is one I like. Its flavor is usually described as nutty, and that’s pretty accurate I would say. And looky - made under licence in the US, it says here: > **[Jarlsberg cheese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarlsberg_cheese)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > Jarlsberg (/ˈjɑːrlzbɜːrɡ/ YARLZ-burg, Norwegian: \[ˈjɑ̀ːlsbærɡ\]) is a mild cheese made from cow's milk, with large, regular eyes, originating from Jarlsberg, Norway. It is produced in Norway, as well as in Ireland and the US state of Ohio, licensed from Norwegian dairy producers. It is classified as a Swiss-type cheese. > Jarlsberg cheese has a yellow wax rind (outer layer) and a semi-firm yellow interior. It is a mild, buttery cheese. The flavour... - though I’ve only had the Norwegian original. Anyways, I like it. j ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/5 "2021-06-17T21:27:20Z")
Fifty years ago I had some Esrom > **[Esrom - Cheese.com](https://www.cheese.com/esrom/)** > > Esrom or Danish Port Salut cheese is a Trappist-style traditional, creamery, semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk. The cheese is named after an abbey where Cistercian monks first made it in the... I haven’t seen any on sale in the UK since, butI I’ll keep looking. And then there’s Gjetost… > **[Gjetost Cheese - Cheese Etc. The Pangbourne Cheese Shop Reading](https://cheese-etc.co.uk/cheese-shop/cheese/hard-cheese/norweigan-hard-cheese/gjetost-cheese/)** > > Gjetost is made from a mix of goats' and cows' whey to form a pliable cheese. It has a distinctive sweet, caramel-like flavour. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/6 "2021-06-17T21:50:06Z")
I like Jarlsberg a lot, though I don’t think the flavor is very unusual - just similar to a good Swiss/Emmental. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/7 "2021-06-17T21:50:38Z")
I’d love to try this one, but I don’t know if I can get it in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/8 "2021-06-17T22:45:43Z")
Gjetost is great, we stock it regularly in our cheese cave here, in fact I just ate some 20 minutes ago! I love the burnt sweet caramel creaminess of it. It makes the roof of my mouth tingle too. But I truly loves me some > **[Epoisses de Bourgogne - Cheese.com](https://www.cheese.com/epoisses-de-bourgogne/)** > > Epoisses de Bourgogne is a soft cheese made with whole cow’s milk, produced in a village Époisses, France.  Commonly called Epoisses, the cheese has a creamy, chewy and firm... A pity it’s hard to find decent samples of it in the US, too often it’s gone over and smells like ammonia. I had my last decent piece of it in Vancouver, BC nearly two years ago now. ☹ A local cheese factory used to make a mix of Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese, which they called Jack Par cheese. My gods, that was good! The BEST of both flavors in a complex hard cheese. Sadly they went out of business. Aged cheddar with caraway seeds in it is divine, too. But it’s a niche product, most of it is sold as mild cheddar/caraway mix and lacks the bite. I should invest in a few pounds of that and age it myself. I wonder if I can find Stinking Bishop next time I’m in Canada. I’ll have to look for it when I shop for Epoisses there. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/9 "2021-06-17T22:50:33Z")
This may not be that exotic, but the first time I tried aged (1000 day) Gouda, I didn’t know whether I liked it or not. The second time I tried it, it became my favorite cheese. So different than young Gouda, which is mild and kind of boring. Aged Gouda has overtones of caramel or butterscotch while being savory at the same time, with a funkiness underneath.1000 days of aging seems to be the sweet spot-- anything less than 2 years old is not worth it; I’ve had 5 year old Gouda and it didn’t seem any better than the 1000 day, just more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/10 "2021-06-18T01:28:38Z")
I don’t know that I’d call it complex, exactly, but there sure is a lot going on with this cheese. I have some in my fridge right now: > **[Somerdale Red Dragon Cheese](https://www.gourmetdash.com/red-dragon-cheese-56832-config)** > > Red Dragon is a buttery and spicy cheese with plenty of bite, but is not too hot. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/11 "2021-06-18T02:05:25Z")
Von Trapp Oma is a milder stinky cheese with pretty good depth. By far the funkiest cheese I’ve ever tasted is [Truck Drivers Cheddar](https://artfulvagabond.com/2010/01/27/a-cheese-for-truck-drivers/) from Vermont. I took one bite of that and vowed never again but some people seem to love it. I was under the impression that the guy who made it stopped (retired) but I see “trucker” cheese available online; dunno if it’s the same. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I do like a mild Brie baked in the oven with butter-toasted almonds on top. I’m clearly not in your league. 🙇🏽‍♀️ One of my most memorable cheese dinners was a baked Brie with pears, raspberries, walnuts, and a puff pastry. Nothing wrong with good Brie! ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-complex-weird-cheeses/944478/12 "2021-06-18T02:24:19Z")
Get yourself a hold of some genuine French [mystery cheese](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fromage_fort) made of leftover blue cheeses and aged goat cheeses, mashed up and blended together with white wine, salt, pepper, leaven, various optional herbs, leeks, etc., and left to sit in a jar for a year.