What should I do with the rind?Updated 2 years ago

To eat or not to eat the rind, that is the frequently asked question.

We get this one a lot. Unless it’s coated in an inedible substance like wax (think Mayfield or Lancashire Bomb) or is wrapped in spruce bark (we’re looking at you Rollright), every part of a cheese is perfectly safe to eat. Whether you actually want to eat it is another story.

Some cheeses have hard, crumbly rinds that develop naturally with age, others have pungent, sticky rinds that are formed when washed in beer or brandy, and then there are furry, velvety rinds made up of moulds and yeasts. We could go on, but you get the idea.

These sorts of rind are all perfectly edible, and in many cases play a crucial part in the development of a cheese’s taste and texture, ripening the cheese and imparting flavour from the outside in.

If you’re not sure, we’ve made things easy for you. You’ll find personalised tasting notes for every cheese in your cheesebox, complete with what to do with those ever bewildering skins. We’ll tell you if we think you should grind with the rind (it’s lovely), mind the rind (only for the bold), or leave the rind behind (toss it). Simple!