News Microbes

Meet some of the microbes that give cheeses flavor

Scientists have pinpointed bacteria that make cheese taste fruity, musty or oniony

A collection of different cheeses stacked in a pile with a black background.

Bacteria that colonize cheeses as they ripen help shape the flavors that develop. Scientists are now nailing down which types of bacteria are responsible for which flavors.

Alain Muriot/Getty Images

By Allie Wilkinson

Cheese making has been around for thousands of years, and there are now more than 1,000 varieties of cheese worldwide. But what exactly makes some cheeses like Parmesan taste fruity and others, such as Brie and Camembert, taste musty has remained a bit of a mystery.