At first glance, a cheese ... bloomy rind actually adds an earthy, mushroom-like flavor to these cheeses. Washed rinds, which have been rinsed with brine or alcohol, may be red or orange in ...

Todd notes that it’s “Brevibacteria that causes that orange ... rind cheese like Gruyère, it may be physically harder to eat the rind because it's hard, but you still can if you'd like.