Made infamous in many cartoons I watched in my youth, this iconic cheese is grossly misunderstood, and very likely why it is hard to find. I saw that one of my favorite Philly cheese counters , Downtown Cheese at Reading Terminal Market, had it and thought "ooooh, finally!" (and also, "oooh, that foil!").

The St. Mang brand is rather mild in taste but, like its aroma, it can get stronger with age. I had this in my fridge for a week or two and it was maybe a 3 on a scale of 1-10 funk-o-meter. It's made from milk from the Allgäu region of Bavaria this washed rind cheese, they claim, is made lactose-free due to the natural maturation process during the cheese-making, and they use microbial rennet so it's also vegetarian-safe.

I'm sure most of the washed rind cheeses I have come across over the years are far more funkier than this. I did however love painting that block in its pretty polka dot-lined foil wrapper.

Country of Origin: Germany

Price: $600