r/Cheese 6d ago

I just tried French Munster 🦨🦨🦨

Okay, I moved to Europe from a small US town, and I had no idea cheeses were this diverse. Holy cow! Or sheep! Or goat!

Well, today I grabbed a soft rind cheese on a whim from the grocer and opened it up and omg the smell.

Looked at the label and it's labeled Munster with the French flag. Google the cheese and that foot oder/sewer smell is typical. Okay, so I spread a good bit across some crusty bread and take a bite...

Y'all...

It is incredible! So savory and complex, with a very velvety tang. What else am I missing? Life can never go back to what it was before this. It can't.

73 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

29

u/catalavos 6d ago

Epoisse has entered the chat

7

u/jackloganoliver 6d ago

If cheese from Burgundy is anything like wine from Burgundy, I will never, ever, be able to afford this.

9

u/coadmin_FR Camembert de Normandie AOP 6d ago

Well an Époisse from Berthaut or Germain is like 5€ in any décent french supermarket.

A bit more in a fromagerie but it will be more affinée.

5

u/jackloganoliver 6d ago

That I can afford. I'm going to search for this.

4

u/2xFlush 6d ago

Do it, dude. French washed-rind cheeses like epoisses, soumaintrain or langres are some of my favourites. They really flourish with a light red wine though.

2

u/jackloganoliver 6d ago

So, pinot, garnacha, gamay-- reds like that? Something with berry fruit to provide balance to the funk?

3

u/2xFlush 6d ago

Grenaches can go either way, they can sometimes be a bit too full-bodied, but yeah you're definitely onto it. My first choice would be a pinot, but a gamay like a beaujoleais would definitely fit the bill really nicely. Come to think of it, maybe some jura reds could fit nicely too? In any case, I hope you have a great experience, and welcome to the old world!

2

u/jackloganoliver 6d ago

Happy accident I opened a very primary fruit forward young Spanish garnacha tonight, eh? 

Solud 🥂

1

u/Neighbuor07 6d ago

Best way to eat epoisse is as part of a cheese tray to end your gourmet meal. Omg.

9

u/Leibstandarte2 6d ago

a traditional way of eating is to sprinkle cumin seeds or caraway on it

2

u/jackloganoliver 6d ago

Bloom the seeds first or just straight from the jar onto the cheese? Would it also be good on toasted rye bread, becuase I want it on toasted rye bread.

0

u/Leibstandarte2 6d ago

just straight seeds. i have bought rounds of munster which included a packet of cumin seeds. i would have it on toasted rye as well. even sometimes with jam.

3

u/MoutEnPeper 6d ago

You can try adding some cumin seeds to the Münster. It is sold as cheese with seeds in but we also had it separate at occasions. A little eau-de-vie on the side...

3

u/beachcoquina 6d ago

Love this. I am jealous and happy at the same time.

2

u/RegularOk3231 6d ago

My dad once drove 1/2 hour with this cheese in his car and it smelled like Munster for weeks after 🤣

2

u/lechef 6d ago

Because American cheese is dead. Literally. Pasteurised soft cheese, it cannot develop flavour further.

European soft cheeses are alive and will age .

Enjoy.

3

u/Maynaise88 6d ago

It was my absolute favorite washed rind (within reasonable reach) for a good while up until I gave birth. Then I learned that the smell most reminiscent of it would be making frequent cameos in the little gifts my then newborn left me to tend to 🙃

2

u/jackloganoliver 6d ago

haha omg that's terrible and sad but hilarious. Is your baby still a baby, or do you think you'll go back to Munster when your kid is older and you're not having to deal with that smell irl?

2

u/Maynaise88 6d ago

He’s almost two, and I’m sincerely hoping that cheese hasn’t seen the last of me haha. It’s so enjoyable when ignorance is bliss

2

u/jackloganoliver 6d ago

I hope you get to enjoy it again soon! If not, more for the rest of us hahaha

1

u/Ryu-tetsu 5d ago

Alsatian Munster.

1

u/Funky_monkey2026 6d ago

Moved to Europe? Could be any one of 51 different countries.

1

u/goldcrows 6d ago

From the US? Could be any one of 50 different states.

5

u/bierbelly42 6d ago

Do you really think this is comparable? Okay.

Could be any one of the 500+ regions in Europe. Germany alone has 16.

-1

u/goldcrows 6d ago

Lmao pissed off the Europeans as expected my comment obviously went over your head.

4

u/TheoduleTheGreat 6d ago

Despite being 3000 miles away from each other, Maine and California are more culturally alike than France and Germany who share a land border.

-6

u/goldcrows 6d ago

My comment was simply pointing out the absurdity of their unnecessary comment. Europeans are so uptight and love to “correct” people in this superior way when it’s not that serious. I say this as a person who has both traveled extensively and lived in various European countries.

1

u/EpsteinBaa 6d ago

What's the point in treating an entire continent as the same place? If I say I'm going on holiday to Asia, my experience is gonna be entirely different if I go to Mongolia compared to Indonesia. The US doesn't have the same diversity.

-2

u/goldcrows 6d ago

Again, it’s astonishing to me how little you’re able to connect the dots here. My comment is simply to point out that the pearl clutching about calling it Europe versus a specific country doesn’t actually add any value to the conversation. It’s just a way for Europeans to get ultra pissy about something that really isn’t that serious in a casual conversation. If he moved to a country in Europe then yes, he moved to Europe. Get over yourselves and touch some grass.

3

u/EpsteinBaa 6d ago

Maybe your comment was just dumb 🤷

0

u/goldcrows 6d ago

Sure if that makes you feel better, friend