THE LEFTOVERS FROM THE CHEESE BOARD: WHICH RIND CAN YOU EAT AND WHICH SHOULD YOU NOT?

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: which rinds can you eat from the leftovers of your cheese board and which should you not?

After an hour of snacking, the cheese board is empty, but not completely. Why don't we actually eat those cheese rinds? Are they edible or are there cheese edges that are better left alone?

In general, the rind of soft cheeses is simply edible. Brie? Camembert? The taste of the rinds is slightly stronger than the cheese itself. Enthusiasts say: the flavor of the rind and that of the cheese complement each other. Maybe it just takes some getting used to?

Washing with alcohol
Red mold cheese, such as époisses and reblochon, is brushed and washed with alcohol (or with salt water) to remove the mold and make the rind firmer. The flavor is also significantly stronger. Sometimes the outside of the cheese feels a bit grainy in your mouth. Perfectly edible, but maybe not everyone likes it, as it can taste quite salty.

White fluff
Blue mold cheeses (roquefort, gorgonzola) also have an edible rind, just like goat cheeses with a white fluffy coat, such as that delicious crottin. By the way, did you know that the outside is not mold but yeast?

Healthy ash
Some cheeses are rolled in ash and have a layer of ash (morbier) or an outside of black ash. It doesn't sound appealing but is definitely edible. In fact: it's even healthy. It is said to help remove toxins from your body – and with intestinal problems, think of Norit.

Plastic layer
The rinds of hard cheese are usually not edible. For example, think of the bright orange rind of the young semi-hard cheese from the supermarket: just leave that alone, as it's one hundred percent synthetic. Something has also been added to prevent mold on the rind. If you do eat it, nothing serious will probably happen, but your body doesn't digest it, so it comes out more or less unchanged. Port salut also has such a plastic exterior, so it's better to cut that little bit off.

In the soup
Exception: the rind of Parmesan cheese is good to eat. You might find it too hard to cut into pieces, but you can just grate it. Another tip: throw those hard pieces of Parmesan into a stew and let them simmer or add them to the broth you are making. The umami of the Parmesan enhances the other flavors, so your soup or stew gets a significant flavor boost.

Cheese festival Amsterdam
Want to know more about cheese and especially taste a lot of cheese? Then come to the first Amsterdam Cheese Festival. The Amsterdam Cheese Festival takes place on Sunday, October 24 and Monday, October 25, 2021. Here you can eat unlimited cheese from all over the world, and that in a fantastic location. So mark this date boldly in your calendar.