Limburger is a semi-soft, washed rind cheese that originated in the historical Duchy of Limburg, now divided among three countries; Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. The cheese is popularly known for its stinky aroma which has been compared to foot odor. Today, most of the cheese is exclusively made in Germany, making them the sole producers in Europe.

Artisanal cheese makers prepare this cheese from pasteurised cow’s milk sourced from local, organic farms. As a result, the flavour of the cheese is mild despite the stinky aroma.

The exterior of the cheese is covered with a thin pale, orange-brown rind, an effect of regular washings.

In the initial month of ripening, Limburger is firmer and more crumbly, but starts to become chalky and soft at the end of six weeks. After two months, the cheese is much smoother and creamy. At three months, Limburger finally acquires the infamous aroma due to smear-ripening with solutions of bacteria.

The interior is a soft and yielding, straw-coloured pate that becomes runnier with age. This cheese has a significant grassy and mushroomy taste underlined by delicate tang at the end.

Limburger goes well with Belgian style ales and icy cold bock beer. It tastes best when it is served between two slices of dark rye bread along with a slice of onion.

• Made from pasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: Belgium, Germany and Netherlands
• Region: Duchy of Limburg
• Type: semi-soft, smear-ripened
• Fat content (in dry matter): 42%
• Fat content: 27 g/100g
• Calcium content: 497 mg/100g
• Texture: creamy, crumbly, firm and smooth
• Rind: washed
• Colour: straw
• Flavour: grassy, mild, mushroomy
• Aroma: stinky
• Vegetarian: no
• Alternative spellings: Limburger Kase

Other cheeses from Belgium:

• hard cheeses: Remedou
• semi-hard cheeses: Beauvoorde
• semi-soft cheeses: Bassigny au porto, Le Wavreumont, Monastery Cheeses, Passendale, Rubens
• soft cheeses: Brusselae Kaas (Fromage de Bruxelles), Herve, Maredsous, Monastery Cheeses
• fresh soft cheeses: Prince-Jean

Other German cheeses:

• hard cheeses: Allgauer Emmentaler, Bavarian Bergkase, Klosterkaese
• semi-hard cheeses: Bianco , Danish Feta, Edelpilz, Original Illertaler
• semi-soft cheeses: Basils Original Rauchkäse, Beemster 2% Milk, Bierkase, Bruder Basil, Brunost, Butterkase, Cambozola Grand Noir, Chiriboga Blue, CreNoble , Mirabo Brie with Walnut, Striegistaler Zwerge Camembert
• soft cheeses: Bavaria blu, Bonifaz, Cambazola, Champignon de Luxe Garlic, Champignon de Luxe Pepper, Champignon Mushrooom, CréMonté , Doppelrhamstufel, Dorblu, Montagnolo , Montsalvat, Petida, ReginaBlu, Rougette Bavarian Red, Rougette Grill Meister, St. Mang Original Allgäuer Limburger, Weichkaese
• fresh soft cheeses: FITAKI White Cheese, Quark

Other cheeses from Netherlands:

• hard cheeses: Aged Gouda, Beemster Aged, Beemster Extra Aged, Boeren-Leidse met sleutels, Kanterkaas , Lamb Chopper, L'Amuse Brabander Goat Gouda, L'Amuse Signature Gouda, Leyden, Midnight Moon, Parrano, Picobello, Prima Donna, Prima Donna fino, Prima Donna forte, Prima Donna leggero, Prima Donna maturo, Reypenaer V.S.O.P., Reypenaer XO Reserve, Smoked Gouda, Wilde Weide
• semi-hard cheeses: Beemster Classic, Beemster Graskaas, Gouda, Leerdammer, Maasdam, Reypenaer
• soft cheeses: Kernhem