surface-ripened

[ sur-fis-rahy-puhnd ]

adjective

1. (of cheese) ripened on the surface by molds or other microorganisms.

Word History and Origins

Origin of surface-ripened¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

There’s chevre, a soft, fresh variety with a mild flavor; chevre smoked with applewood; tomme, a semi-hard alpine-style cheese; and crottin, a surface-ripened cheese like brie with a rich, tangy flavor.

From Washington Times

Bloomsbury: A surface-ripened, pasteurized cow’s milk cheese with a buttery texture.

From Washington Post

Undaunted, Grecz discovered that a common microbe, Brevibacterium linens, found on many soft, surface-ripened cheeses, manufactures an antibiotic that kills off many other microbes, though it is harmless to man.

From Time Magazine Archive