Roquefort Cheese
If you've never been able to force yourself to eat any type of stinky cheese, Roquefort might make you change your mind.
This pungent blue cheese has a rich, sharp flavor that might be an acquired taste, but an addictive one once you do acquire it. You might want to take in its odor deeply and repeatedly in order to adjust to it. After all, aroma is a big part of enjoying food.
The crumbly texture, striking blue-veined appearance, and piquant flavor of this stinky cheese make it a perfect salad ingredient. It also pairs especially well with mild fruits.
These unusual characteristics have made Roquefort one of the most enduringly popular cheeses. Originating in the southern French village of Roquefort, producers of this regal but stinky cheese are held to a strict set of standards by European Union laws.
Its storied beginnings are part of its appeal. Legend has it that a young shepherd spotted a beautiful girl and left both his herd and his lunch behind. When the boy returned to retrieve his bread and sheep's milk curds from the cave where he'd left them, the curds were moldy. Starving, he ate them anyway and found them delicious. Roquefort was born.
Roquefort's popularity despite smelling a bit like dirty socks stands as a testament to its flavor and quality. Though not even a fraction as smelly as Limburger, Roquefort is a moldy, stinky cheese. Yet it can be found in the best restaurants and gourmet shops around the world.