On the Effects of Music on Cheese

"The creation of good cheese involves a complex dance between milk and bacteria. In a quite literal sense, playing the right tune while this dance unfolds changes the final product's taste, a new study shows. Denis Balibouse and Cecile Mantovani at Reuters report that hip-hop, for example, gave the cheese an especially funky flavor, while cheese that rocked out to Led Zeppelin or relaxed with Mozart had milder zests.

"Last September, Swiss cheesemaker Beat Wampfler and a team of researchers from the Bern University of Arts placed nine 22-pound wheels of Emmental cheese in individual wooden crates in Wampfler's cheese cellar. Then, for the next six months each cheese was exposed to an endless, 24-hour loop of one song using a mini-transducer, which directed the sound waves directly into the cheese wheels.

"The 'classical' cheese mellowed to the sounds of Mozart's The Magic Flute. The 'rock' cheese listened to Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven'. . . ."

A recent Smithsonian article reported on the effects of different types of music on cheese.

To access the complete Smithsonian report, please visit:

Smithsonian: Smart News: Scientists Played Music to Cheese as It Aged. Hip-Hop Produced the Funkiest Flavor (18 MAR 19)