Don't judge a book by its cover or, a cheese by its aroma.
Let us be clear from the beginning, this is a STINKY CHEESE. You either can't live without it, or you can't live with it! When you opened your box of cheese this month you probably noticed the aroma straight away, so let's take a look at what causes that smell.
Once made, the young cheese is constantly washed or "rubbed" by hand with a brine solution that stops the growth of mold, while promoting the growth of edible bacterium. This bacterium, known in short as b-linens, is where the staggering aroma comes from, and it also creates the sun burnt-orange colored rind.
Trappist Monks where the first to make this exceptional cheese. Limburger originated in the Belgian province of Liège and was first sold at markets in Limbourg.
In the nineteenth century, cheese makers in Germany fell in love with Limburger, and are now so enamored with it that most Germans, and even some Belgians, believe Limburger to be a German cheese! In the United States Limburger also owes its popularity to the Germans, since German immigrants started making the cheese when they emigrated. (Domestic made Limburger is a much milder cheese than the real thing.)
Limburgers' notoriety is such that it turns up in all manner of places. The Invalid's Story by Mark Twain is about a very bizarre experiment which studied mosquitoes' responses to Limburger cheese versus socks worn by humans! There are even a couple of websites devoted to how Limburger is either beloved or detested!
if you are adventurous and like strong tasting cheeses, try this sandwich. Start with pumpernickel or rye bread spread with some horseradish, add Limburger, sliced onions, and liverwurst or braunschweiger. This is not for the faint of heart - for some it's a traditional way to start each new year!
This was copied from a fan site for Stinky Cheese. Hope it answers the question about the source of the bouquet.
I love stinky cheese, Limburger, bleu, stilton, the stronger the better, bring it on
By the way, has anyone ever read the "The Stinky Cheeseman and other Twisted Fairy Tails" to their children. I highly reccomend it. A wonderfully funny book and great artwork to boot. You can find it on Amazon.
