Soft-ripened cheese, also called bloomy-rind or surface-ripened cheese, is a category of cheese that ripens from the outside in, developing a soft, creamy interior beneath an edible white rind. The rind forms from a surface mold, usually Penicillium candidum, applied to the cheese, which breaks down proteins and fat as it ages and gradually softens the paste beneath it.
Made from cow, goat, or sheep's milk, the best-known examples, Brie, Camembert, and Brillat-Savarin, are French. Explorateur, a triple-cream soft-ripened cheese, is also French, made in the Île-de-France region.
These cheeses are eaten as part of a cheese course or with crackers, bread, or fresh fruit, and are best served at room temperature so the ripened interior softens fully. A good one has a slightly tacky, velvety rind and a consistent, creamy interior; a hard, dry rind or crumbly center signals it's overripe.