Limburger

Limburger: Nutrition, History and Cooking Guide

Limburger is a washed-rind semi-soft cheese originating in the historical Duchy of Limburg (now divided between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany), with most production now centred in Bavaria, Germany, where it was transplanted by German cheesemakers in the nineteenth century. It is notorious as one of the world's most pungent cheeses, with an aroma described variously as barnyard, locker room, and aggressively earthy — produced by Brevibacterium linens bacteria on the washed rind, which produce the same odoriferous compounds as human skin bacteria. Inside the formidable aroma, Limburger has a surprisingly mild, creamy, pleasant flavour that many first-time tasters find quite approachable. It was enormously popular among German immigrants in the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and remains a culturally significant cheese in communities of German descent in the Midwest. Limburger on rye bread with raw onion and mustard — the classic German-American combination — is a preparation that those who love it consider deeply satisfying and those who don't may prefer not to experience.

Nutritional Value and Uses

Limburger provides 327 kcal and 20.1 g of protein per 100 g, with 27.3 g of fat. Calcium at approximately 497 mg per 100 g is good alongside B12, vitamin A, and phosphorus. Serve at room temperature — the aroma intensifies as it warms. The traditional German-American preparation is sliced Limburger on dark rye bread with sliced onion, Dijon mustard, and a cold beer. Keep tightly wrapped in the refrigerator to contain the aroma. For the adventurous, Limburger is a genuinely flavoursome and nutritious cheese worth trying.