There are two sorts of semi-soft cheese: washed rind cheese and washed curd cheese.
Washed rind cheeses have a firmer curd than soft white rind cheeses and are ripened in more humid conditions.
While they are ripening, the cheeses are washed, rubbed or smeared with a mix of brine and bacteria (bacteria linens). This encourages the growth of a bright orange to dull red bacteria on the rind. These bacteria work on the cheese from the outside in, making it oozy and slightly grainy.
Washed rind cheeses range from soft and runny to firm and dry. What they have in common is their reddish-orange rind and distinctive aroma.
The rind of the softer washed rind cheeses is typically moist and sticky. Their aroma is pungent and often likened to smelly socks and farmyards.
Examples of washed rind cheeses are:
Epoisses (pronounced Ay pwass) - France
Reblochon - France
Munster - USA
Port Salut - France
Taleggio - Italian
Some examples of New Zealand washed rind cheeses are: Devotion by Thorvald Cheeses in Nelson, Galactic Gold by Over The Moon in Putaruru, and Marore, by Grinning Gecko Cheese Company.
The curd for washed curd cheeses is broken before being placed in moulds. Once they can hold their shape they are dipped into brine. This preserves them and creates a firm outer skin. Then they are aged. Moulds are encouraged to grow. These moulds are often brushed or rubbed off so that a thin firm rind develops.
Typically, these cheeses are lower in moisture than washed rind cheeses.
They have a more full-bodied, sweet flavour rather than a strong flavour. Often their texture is smooth and rubbery.
Examples of washed curd cheeses are:
Edam
Colby
Gouda.