# Limberger Cheese **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237 "2012-09-09T21:37:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/1 "2012-09-09T21:37:51Z")
I had seen limberger cheese featured humorously on The Three Stooges and Abbott and Costello movies, as well as in cartoons. Well last week I actually got the opportunity to smell it and try a slice for the first time; DISGUSTING! In fact the proprietor told me to “take it outside.” So…what is the appeal of limberger cheese? Is it supposed to be healthy for us? I assume that it has some appeal otherwise nobody would sell it. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/2 "2012-09-09T22:19:18Z")
Some people like stinky foods. Was that really so hard? (And, did you mean for this to be in the Pit, because if you did, it’s lame). ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/3 "2012-09-09T23:22:36Z")
Yes, it smells bad. But it tastes sublime. Limberger cheese on dark rye with mustard and onions… yum. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/4 "2012-09-09T23:32:03Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Yes, it smells bad. > > But it tastes sublime. > > Limberger cheese on dark rye with mustard and onions… yum. This. It really stinks but in a good way if you like that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/5 "2012-09-10T00:04:28Z")
Limb **u** rger, people! It’s fine. I wouldn’t call it sublime myself. As I said in a recent thread here, I don’t get people who say it smells bad but tastes great. Smell is like 70% of taste. Limburger tastes like it smells, with a soft, creamy texture. I don’t find it completely off-putting, but it certainly is an acquired taste. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/6 "2012-09-10T00:48:37Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Some people like stinky foods. People who like stinky foods always end up sitting near me on the bus! /rant ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/7 "2012-09-10T00:57:38Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > People who like stinky foods always end up sitting near me on the bus! /rant They figure nobody will smell them there. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/8 "2012-09-10T01:02:52Z")
Apparently, Limburger cheese doesn’t just smell _like_ stinky feet — the smells of both come from the same bacteria. [QUOTE=Wikipedia] Once it reaches three months, the cheese produces its notorious smell because the bacterium used to ferment Limburger cheese and many other smear-ripened cheeses[2] is Brevibacterium linens, the same one found on human skin that is partially responsible for body odor and particularly foot odor. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/9 "2012-09-10T01:39:51Z")
Limburger cheese. Quicksand. Alum. Sputtering cannonball-shaped bombs. Parachutes switched with dirty laundry and campsite cutlery. Just a few of the perils little **VT** prepared himself to face on a daily basis. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/10 "2012-09-10T01:54:29Z")
> [@ricksummon](#): > > Apparently, Limburger cheese doesn’t just smell _like_ stinky feet — the smells of both come from the same bacteria. I told this to my niece, and it put her off cheese for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/11 "2012-09-10T02:07:33Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Limburger cheese. Quicksand. Alum. Sputtering cannonball-shaped bombs. Parachutes switched with dirty laundry and campsite cutlery. Just a few of the perils little **VT** prepared himself to face on a daily basis. Don’t forget the vanishing cream, and the cranial volcanism secondary to consuming bright red hot peppers, or single drops of bright red pepper sauces. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/12 "2012-09-10T03:21:10Z")
Only one experience with limburger cheese. When I was in high school someone put it on the radiator under the stairwell. It was just a slight whiff of nastiness on the third floor, my friend thought it was the girl in front of us, I thought it was the one behind. As we came down the stairs we were hoping nobody thought it was one of us. By the time we hit the first floor, we weren’t worried about what anybody thought as we were choking and gasping for air, barely able to see through the tears in our eyes. Some nasty stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/13 "2012-09-10T07:27:27Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/14 "2012-09-10T12:28:27Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Some people like stinky foods. > Was that really so hard? > > (And, did you mean for this to be in the Pit, because if you did, it’s lame). I am new to this message board so how exactly it ended up in the Pit I have no idea. My original intention was to have it cafe society. ---
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/15 "2012-09-10T12:30:17Z")
[quote=“Vinyl\_Turnip, post:9, topic:634237”] Limburger cheese. Quicksand. Alum. Sputtering cannonball-shaped bombs. Parachutes switched with dirty laundry and campsite cutlery. Just a few of the perils little **VT** prepared himself to face on a daily basis.[/QUOTE I myself tried to shoot a banana off like a gun in hopes that the banana would fly out of the peel into somebody’s mouth and incapacitate that individual like Savoirfaire Mouse did to Klondike Kat. All I ended up with was a few mushed up bananas. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/16 "2012-09-10T14:38:03Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Yes, it smells bad. > > But it tastes sublime. > > Limberger cheese on dark rye with mustard and onions… yum. Yes. Limburger is fantastic. But the best Limburgers are just pale imitations of [French Munster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munster_%28cheese%29). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/17 "2012-09-10T14:52:53Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Yes. Limburger is fantastic. But the best Limburgers are just pale imitations of [French Munster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munster_%28cheese%29). Does that Munster have the same type of stink as Limburger? I’ve only come across one other cheese that has that body odor smell to it (Hungarian palpusztai cheese.) ETA: It seems that a lot of smear-ripened cheeses have this type of stink. I’ll have to check some of these other guys out to see how they compare with limburger. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/18 "2012-09-10T14:56:52Z")
[Didn’t we just do this?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=663434) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/19 "2012-09-10T14:58:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Does that Munster have the same type of stink as Limburger? I’ve only come across one other cheese that has that body odor smell to it (Hungarian palpusztai cheese.) I believe it’s the same sweaty socks smell, but it’s not always as strong. But the flavor and the texture are usually better than limburger. ---
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237/20 "2012-09-10T16:36:56Z")
As I am now an Alsatian (woof woof!) I feel I can weigh in on the Munster cheese. It smells bad. Like a pair of socks you’ve hiked in, wet, for a week. And then you left them to sit in your bag for another week in 90 degree weather. In a word, it is wonderful. And, in my experience, stronger than the Epoisses I’ve gotten. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limberger-cheese/634237.md?page=2)