Taleggio
Flavour Profile
Pungent, fruity, and tangy on the outside, mild and creamy on the inside.
The washed rind smells stronger than the cheese tastes — meaty and barnyardy on the nose, but surprisingly gentle and buttery on the tongue.
Health Benefits
Good source of calcium and protein. Moderate fat.
The washed rind contains bacteria (Brevibacterium linens) which are the same family used in skin microbiomes — completely safe and part of the flavour.
Buying Tips
Look for Taleggio DOP, made only in specific regions of Lombardy and surrounding areas.
The rind should be pinkish-orange and slightly damp, the interior pale and yielding. Avoid anything that smells of strong ammonia — that means it's gone past its prime.
Storage
Wrap in parchment (not plastic) and keep in the fridge.
The rind needs to breathe a little. Tightly sealed plastic suffocates it and makes it go ammonia-sharp very quickly.
Cooking Uses
Melts beautifully on pizza, in risotto, or in a panini.
Brilliant paired with figs, honey, walnuts, and crusty bread. Also great melted over polenta or potatoes.
Forkin Food Theory
Taleggio is a washed-rind cheese. During ageing, the wheels are regularly washed with a mild salt water or brine.
That wash encourages Brevibacterium linens — the same bacteria responsible for the smell of human feet — to grow on the surface. It's that bacteria that creates the pungent aroma and pinkish rind.
The stink is the smell of microbial life doing useful work, breaking down proteins on the rind and adding flavour to the cheese underneath.
Wild & Wonderful
Taleggio is one of the oldest soft cheeses in Italy, with records going back to around the year 1000.
Traditionally it was aged in the natural caves of Val Taleggio, where the cool, damp conditions are perfect for the rind bacteria. The wheels were turned and washed by hand throughout ripening.
The name was actually only formalised in the 1980s. Before then, it was sold under various local names depending on the village it came from.