There to protect cheese during the aging process, most cheese rinds are edible, even if they aren’t very tasty. Others, however, are 100% inedible and should be avoided.

There are three kinds of edible rinds: washed, bloomy, and thick, natural rinds. While the latter kind is often hard and unappealing, they are technically edible.

The rinds that are 100% inedible are manmade ones, like wax. Wax rinds block moisture evaporation, allowing the cheese to maintain a moist interior and prevent mold growth.

These wax rinds can be found on gouda, wax-dipped cheddar, Edam, Airedale, manchego, and Derby cheeses. If the rind or paper adhered to the cheese has a pattern, it’s likely waxed.

Cloth, like that on a clothbound cheddar, is another inedible rind. It allows the cheese to breathe as it ages, resulting in a slightly crumby, dry texture in the final product.

One less common inedible rind is tree bark, which is what Mont d'Or style cheeses are traditionally wrapped in. It gives the cheese flavors of pine, mustard, or smoked ham.