Munster or Muenster? Cheese Monsters... which one is it? Most likely you have seen ONE of these cheeses in a deli case - especially in America. Muenster cheese is an american cheese, like the processed cheeses we learned about in this post. The cheese it gets its name and style from is Munster. The name munster may come from the little town of Munster, where, among Vosgian abbeys and monasteries, the cheese was conserved and matured in monk's cellars. It may also refer to the Latin word for Monastery, monasterium. The original Munster cheese is soft and ripened, and pungent in flavor. American Deli version is closer to a soft Jack Cheese in texture and flavor, and almost always a processed cheese instead of a natural cheese. It can be substituted for with Jack Cheese.

You can tell a Muenster by its colorful rind, its bright orange and yellow! It melts well, and so I would recommend it in a grilled cheese or a quesadilla. A cheese geek describe Munster below:

"Munster has been made in Alsace since the Middle Ages, and was initially made in monasteries by monks who wanted to find a way to preserve their dairy products. Traditional Munster is made in Alsace by only a handful of dairies who still use raw milk and follow a prescribed series of steps which result in a formidable cheese. Munster is a washed cheese, which means that the rind of the cheese is periodically washed during the manufacture of the cheese. This contributes to the flavor of the cheese, along with the strong smell.

Making Munster begins with forming curds, which are pressed into cheese molds and drained. Traditionally, the cheese is aged outside for one week before being brought indoors and stored with older Munsters, so that it can acquire the unique rind flora which distinguishes the cheese. Every other day, the cheese is washed and brushed with a mixture of salt brine and coloring, resulting in a thick, bright red rind."