When the cheese platter arrives, we throw ourselves directly at this fragrant Camembert, this runny Reblochon or even on this good old Maroilles… Are we masos? No. Science has spoken and finally explained our unconditional attraction to stinky cheese. In a video from the Food-Delicious Science site, it is explained that our brain receives these odors, which unfold once in the mouth. Basically, the stronger it smells, the better it tastes, and the brain knows it.
The smells, or rather aromas, of cheeses are due to the fermentation process. Yes, because cheese is raw milk that is left to ferment, so it obviously doesn't smell like roses. And it is the molecules that give the cheese this smell that are assimilated by the brain, or rather our “hind of the nose”. The hind nose is what makes us “taste” the smell. You know, when you smell something stinky, like rotten eggs or cheese, and you feel like you have that smell in your mouth (sometimes you even get sick of it!). Science has shown that volatile molecules turn into vapor and therefore into aromas. It is only once in the mouth that the brain makes the connection between smell and taste, which gives the cheese its character so comforting, greedy and soft. You should know that this quality is specific to humans and can (a priori) never be replaced by science, despite all the technological advances in terms of meaning.
We take advantage of it, in addition to being good, it is also good for your health!
