It’s so thin and soft sometimes I feel it’s a waste of time to take it off. What about Brie? That one’s too hard to leave alone but it’s covered in powdery stuff. What’s that? And any other cheese with a rind that you can think of, what is the rind made of?
I always thought it was wax.
Brie rind is definitely edible. If you like it, eat it. If you don’t, take it off. I won’t judge you!
The “rind” on gouda is usually wax, though it sounds to me like what you’re talking about is not the rind, but the outer layer of cheese. Smoking can toughen up the outside of the cheese. You can eat the non-wax rind if you don’t find it unpleasant. You could probably technically eat the wax rind, but it would be unpleasant in texture.
The rind is usually made by molds and bacteria growing on the cheese as it ripens. In most cheeses (brie, Camembert), it is edible, though not everyone likes the taste.
The rind on real Parmigiano-Reggiano is used for flavoring soups and is just a hard shell of the cheese.
Here’s a good quick primer - http://www.quora.com/Cheese/What-cheese-skins-can-you-eat
Thanks all. That link is very helpful, Purd.
Unsmoked Gouda is often waxed. (Bright red, generally.) Smoked Gouda has an outer ring of dried smokey cheese. You’ve been … removing it?? splutters But … but that’s the best part!
Thank you for this! I, too, find it the best and smokiest part but I thought it could be wax. And then i thought it should be easier to remove if it was wax. And then I thought to ask here.
I usually eat the Brie rind, but only if there is enough of the inner cheese in the same bite. I wouldn’t want a bite of just rind. Also it’s kind of a pain to remove without wasting precious, precious Brie.
Most smoked gouda is processed cheese food, and is coated with dark-brown wax. But a smoked gouda made from natural cheese has a rind.
I love how it’s called “Gooda Cheese”. That, and the website lists the brand as “Natural Smoked”, but the product label has it as “Naturally Smoked”.
King’s Choice is not processed cheese food. It is pasteurized cheese-- full stop.
I think that may be the fault website 21food and not the cheese manufacturer. The website seems to be some sort of Asian import/export site.
It says “pasteurized process” right on the label.
And even on the old label that you link to it says pasteurized process cheese, not processed cheese food.
I’ve bought the exact brand in your first link, and the rind is most definitely not wax.
The difference between cheese, processed cheese and cheese food.
Pasteurized process cheese, which is made from one or more cheeses (excluding certain cheeses such as cream cheese and cottage cheese but including American cheese), and which may contain one or more specified "optional ingredients" (includes both dairy and nondairy items). Moisture and fat content percentage requirements vary according to standards for constituent cheeses, but in most cases fat content must be >47%.
Pasteurized process cheese food, which is made from not less than 51% by final weight of one or more "optional cheese ingredients" (similar to the cheeses available for Pasteurized process cheese) mixed with one or more "optional dairy ingredients" (milk, whey, etc.), and which may contain one or more specified "optional ingredients" (nondairy). Moisture must be <44%, and fat content >23%.
Pasteurized process cheese spread, which is made similarly to Pasteurized process cheese food but must be spreadable at 70° F. Moisture must be between 44% and 60%, and fat content >20%.