The Stinkiest Cheeses in the World世界上最臭的奶酪

卡拉·沃爾什/文　孫美萍/譯

Some cheeses pack just a hint of funk1. Think Bruno Mars. Others pack heaps of it—more along the lines of2 James Brown. The latter category includes the stinky cheeses were melting for lately， and were not alone.

有些奶酪略有味道，就像布魯諾·馬爾斯的音樂；還有些奶酪則味道十足，更像詹姆斯·布朗的音樂。后者就包括我們最近沉迷的臭奶酪，而且并非只有我們對臭奶酪情有獨鐘。

“Stinky cheeses are some of my favorite cheeses. A little bit， even an ounce， can be as satisfying as an eight-ounce steak，” says Steve Jones， owner at Cheese Bar in Portland， Oregon.

史蒂夫·瓊斯是俄勒岡州波特蘭市奶酪專賣店“奶酪吧”的老板。他說：“我最喜歡的奶酪里就有幾種臭奶酪。只需一點兒，哪怕就一盎司，也能讓我像吃了八盎司的牛排那樣滿足?！?/p>

In general， stinky cheeses contain some common characteristics， explains Josh Windsor， assistant caves3 manager at Murrays Cheese in New York City.

喬希·溫莎就職于紐約市的奶酪專賣店“默里奶酪”，是負責管理奶酪熟成洞穴的副經(jīng)理。他解釋說，臭奶酪通常有一些共同特征。

“All of these are in a category known as washed rind or smear-ripened cheese， which means they are washed in a brine solution during the aging process. Washing the cheese helps remove the mold that would naturally grow on the cheese， and the use of a brine solution creates an environment that favors salt-tolerant microbes，” he says.

他說：“所有臭奶酪都屬于洗皮奶酪，或稱涂抹熟成奶酪，也就是說這類奶酪在熟成過程中用鹽水洗浸過。洗浸有助于去除奶酪上自然生長的霉菌，同時鹽水也會創(chuàng)造有利于耐鹽微生物生長的環(huán)境。”

Among those salt-tolerant microbes are yeasts that help deacidify the rind of the aging cheese， Windsor adds. The resulting environment is ideal to develop bacteria known as orange-forming coryneforms， which lends the pungent aromas to washed rind cheese. （You may also see these referred to as Brevibacterium linens.）

溫莎補充道，耐鹽微生物中的酵母菌有助于奶酪在熟成過程中外皮脫酸，由此形成有利于橙色棒狀桿菌生長的理想環(huán)境，而橙色棒狀桿菌會為洗皮奶酪增添刺激性氣味。（橙色棒狀桿菌也叫亞麻短桿菌。）

Here are seven full-on4 funky kinds of stinky cheeses that smell strong and taste amazing.

以下是七款臭味十足的奶酪，它們聞起來刺鼻，但吃起來驚艷。

1. U Pecorinu

1. U Pecorinu

“Dont let the initial aroma scare you off，” Windsor warns of the sheeps milk variety. “My first real experience with funky cheese was the Corsican stinker U Pecorinu. I ordered it at a restaurant and could smell it coming from 20 feet away. On my first bite， I asked， ‘How can anyone eat this？ And by my third bite， I had already ordered seconds. It was a big step toward making cheese a full-time career for myself.”

“不要被一開始聞到的氣味嚇跑?！闭f起這款羊乳奶酪，溫莎提醒道，“我第一次親口吃到的臭奶酪就是來自科西嘉島的臭味王U Pecorinu。我在一家餐館點了一份，隔著20英尺都能聞到它的氣味。吃下第一口，我不禁發(fā)問：‘怎么會有人吃這種東西？吃到第三口時，我已經(jīng)點了第二份。這次經(jīng)歷是我朝全職從事奶酪制作邁出的巨大一步?！?/p>

This bright orange-rind oozy sheeps milk cheese is a stinky exhibition of the rustic mountain environment in its home region of Corsica. “Barnyardy5” might be a phrase to best describe this stinky cheese.

這款色鮮質(zhì)軟的橙皮羊乳奶酪氣味濃烈，能展現(xiàn)出原產(chǎn)地科西嘉島質(zhì)樸的山地環(huán)境。用“農(nóng)場氣息”來形容這款臭奶酪也許最為恰當。

2. Hooligan

2. Hooligan

This buttermilk washed-rind cheese is beefy， nutty， and yet milder than you might imagine. Cato Corner Farm in Connecticut makes this stinky cheese with milk from pasture-raised cows. Similar to wine， good cheeses have terroir6 and reflect something about where theyre created. And here， its a matter of the grass the cows chow down on and the microflora hanging out in the aging cave that impact what lives and grows on the rind.

這款脫脂牛乳洗皮奶酪口感厚實，有堅果味，但味道比想象的要溫和。康涅狄格州的卡托科納農(nóng)場用牧場放養(yǎng)奶牛的牛奶制作這種臭奶酪。和葡萄酒一樣，好的奶酪也自帶風土滋味，可以反映出產(chǎn)地的特色。Hooligan展現(xiàn)的就是奶牛大快朵頤的牧草，以及附在奶酪熟成洞穴中的微生物群落，兩者都會影響奶酪外皮上存活和生長的微生物。

“This cheese is unpasteurized，” Jones says， which you may see listed as “raw” on the label. “For the most part， unpasteurized cheeses have more layers of flavor and more nuanced flavors along the spectrum， be it sweet or salty. Think of it like listening to music with clearer speakers.”

“這款奶酪未經(jīng)滅菌。”瓊斯說，因此可以在標簽上看到“生奶酪”字樣?！霸诖蠖鄶?shù)情況下，無論甜咸，未經(jīng)滅菌的奶酪味道更富于層次，每個層次間的差別更加微妙，吃起來就如同用音質(zhì)更清晰的揚聲器聽音樂?！?/p>

3. Limburger

3. 林堡奶酪

“It smells like feet！” is a common refrain7 about Limburger， a semi-soft8 cows milk cheese that originated in Belgium. Today， Germany is responsible for the majority of Limburger production. While it smells strong， this pale orange-rind flavor is quite mild （you might notice a hint of grassiness or umami， like mushrooms） due to pasteurization.

“聞起來就像腳臭味！”這是人們評價林堡奶酪時常說的話。這款半軟質(zhì)牛乳奶酪起源于比利時。如今，德國是林堡奶酪的主要產(chǎn)地。外皮呈淡橙色的林堡奶酪盡管氣味濃烈，但因經(jīng)過滅菌處理，味道相當溫和（你可能會嘗出一絲青草味或者蘑菇等食物的鮮味）。

“Strong， stinky cheeses are fantastic on their own. They offer a great complexity of flavors with a lot of meaty umami，” Windsor says. “That being said， I have a warm place in my heart for an open-face sandwich made with a dark， rye bread and slathered9 with mustard and a smelly washed rind cheese. Limburger and Hooligan work great for these sandwiches.”

“臭味濃烈的奶酪本身就很好吃。它們的味道非常復雜，有濃郁的肉鮮味?！睖厣f，“話雖如此，我心心念念的還是用黑麥面包做一個單片三明治，上面涂上厚厚的芥末和難聞的洗皮奶酪。林堡奶酪和Hooligan非常適合拿來做這樣的三明治?！?/p>

4. Ardrahan

4. 阿德勒漢奶酪

Happy cows， tasty cheese. Ardrahan， a type of semi-soft cheese with a gold hue and a washed rind， is made from pasteurized milk from pedigree Friesian cows that wander around and graze on a calm Irish farm. Slightly acidic， yet buttery and savory all at once， this soft and sticky cheese smells rustic and earthy—a nod to the long rainy seasons that help grow those grasses.

美味的奶酪源于快樂的奶牛。阿德勒漢奶酪是一款金色的半軟質(zhì)洗皮奶酪。純種黑白花奶牛在平靜的愛爾蘭農(nóng)場上漫步吃草，它們產(chǎn)的奶經(jīng)滅菌后便可用于制作阿德勒漢奶酪。這款奶酪味道微酸，同時夾雜著黃油味和咸味，口感軟黏，聞起來頗具鄉(xiāng)間泥土的氣息——這是在向滋養(yǎng)牧草的漫長雨季致意。

“Stinky cheeses have a real propensity to being baked. Try them baked into croutons， or use it to lend depth to grilled cheese10. Baked potatoes topped with bacon lardons and melted stinky cheese are one of my favorite options， too，” Jones says. “These cheeses are real-ly great with beers and white wine.”

“臭奶酪真的很適合烤著吃。可以嘗試把各種臭奶酪抹在面包塊上烤著吃，或者用來給烤奶酪三明治增添風味?？就炼股仙w幾片法式培根，再澆上融化的臭奶酪，這也是我最愛的搭配之一。”瓊斯說，“臭奶酪搭配啤酒和白葡萄酒簡直美味極了?！?/p>

5. Stinking Bishop

5. 臭主教奶酪

Historically made by monks， Stinking Bishop is still aged in conditions that mimic a humid cave， just as the monks made it. This pasteurized soft cows milk cheese is created in England from dairy taken from either Friesian or Gloucester cows. The rind is where this stinky cheese gets its name. For a stinky aroma and brownish-pink hue， its rinsed in Perry， a boozy beverage that features fermented Stinking Bishop pear juice. Its flavor is slightly salty and meaty.

歷史上，臭主教奶酪由僧侶制作，而現(xiàn)在人們效仿僧侶的做法，讓奶酪在模擬潮濕洞穴的環(huán)境中熟成。臭主教奶酪是經(jīng)過滅菌處理的軟質(zhì)牛乳奶酪，原產(chǎn)自英格蘭，所用牛乳源自黑白花奶?；蚋衤逅固啬膛！３糁鹘棠汤业妹谄渫馄?。因用梨酒洗浸過，這款奶酪散發(fā)著濃烈臭味，外皮呈棕粉色。梨酒是高濃度酒精飲品，主要成分為當?shù)爻糁鹘汤嬲コ鰜淼闹?。臭主教奶酪略帶咸味和肉味?/p>

Jones says this stinky cheese “is amazing with a good baguette or brown bread.”

瓊斯說，這款臭奶酪“搭配法式長面包或全麥面包，吃起來實在驚艷”。

6. Greensward

6. 草皮奶酪

The American Cheese Society has awarded this as the “best washed-rind cheese in the country，” Murrays Cheese declares on its website. We can understand why： Its silky， oozy consistency and strong bacon flavor comes from washing the rind with lees from a Vermont cider thats made near where the cows are raised （Jasper Hill Farm）. The orange rind pungent cheese transports your palate to a cidery， just like the big city oasis transports you out of the hustle-bustle.

據(jù)默里奶酪官網(wǎng)上的消息，美國奶酪協(xié)會將草皮奶酪評為“全美最佳洗皮奶酪”。我們能理解其中原因：草皮奶酪的外皮經(jīng)佛蒙特州蘋果酒的酒渣洗浸，而這種酒就產(chǎn)自奶牛飼養(yǎng)地（賈斯珀山農(nóng)場）附近。洗浸后的草皮奶酪口感絲滑、軟黏，具有濃郁的培根味。這款味道刺鼻的橙皮奶酪能把你的味蕾帶到蘋果酒廠，就像大城市中的綠洲能把人帶出喧囂。

7. ?poisses

7. 埃普瓦斯奶酪

Burgundy， France， generates more than stellar11 wine. A wash with brandy gives this classic and custardy pasteurized cows milk cheese its fruity-meets-bacony flavor.

法國勃艮第不止出產(chǎn)一流的葡萄酒，類似蛋奶沙司的埃普瓦斯奶酪也產(chǎn)自這里。用白蘭地洗浸后，這款經(jīng)過滅菌的經(jīng)典牛乳奶酪就有了水果味與熏肉味交雜的味道。

Follow Windsors lead when devouring this golden-rind cheese. “For something a little softer like Greensward or ?poisses， I will open up the top and dig in with a good cornichon，” he says.

向溫莎學學如何享用這款金皮奶酪吧！“對于軟一點的奶酪，例如草皮奶酪或埃普瓦斯奶酪，我會挖開頂部，然后放一小塊美味的酸黃瓜進去?！睖厣f道。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者；單位：天津師范大學）

1 funk濃烈臭味；放克音樂。布魯諾·馬爾斯與詹姆斯·布朗都是放克音樂的代表性人物，后者更是放克音樂的締造者。? 2 along the lines of〈習語〉類似于。? 3 此處指貯存奶酪供其充分發(fā)酵的洞穴。

4 full-on（表示最大程度）完全的；最強烈的。? 5 barnyardy（尤指氣味）農(nóng)家的，農(nóng)場氣息的。

6 terroir風土，指土壤類型、地形特征、地理位置、光照條件、降水量、晝夜溫差、微生物環(huán)境等影響作物生長的因素。? 7 refrain經(jīng)常重復的評價（或抱怨）。? 8 半軟質(zhì)奶酪介于軟質(zhì)奶酪和硬質(zhì)奶酪之間，也稱半硬質(zhì)奶酪。半軟質(zhì)奶酪不像硬質(zhì)奶酪那樣易碎，但比軟質(zhì)奶酪水分含量低。

9 slather厚厚地涂。

10 grilled cheese烤奶酪三明治，一種在黃油中烤或煎的奶酪三明治。

11 stellar一流的。