A Hy-Vee shopper has gone viral on TikTok after revealing how he revived a mold-covered wheel of cheese he bought on a whim.
Blake (@electricblake) said he recently picked up a wheel of Gouda at Hy-Vee for just $17.20—but noticed the rind was coated in black mold and gave off a strong, foot-like odor.
Despite the questionable appearance, Blake bought the cheese anyway, unsure if he’d just wasted his money or scored the deal of a lifetime. In the end, he said the gamble paid off—and declared it a steal.
As of Tuesday, Blake’s video showing off the cheese had racked up more than 346,500 views.
Shopper takes a gamble on moldy cheese
It’s unclear why Hy-Vee was selling cheese visibly covered in mold, but they did. And when Blake spotted it, he said he couldn’t help but wonder if it was still safe to eat.
“Is this safe to eat? Do I just cut the mold off of it?” he asked viewers.
Rather than wait for an answer, Blake went for it. He bought the wheel and took it home, where he promptly tried scrubbing off the mold in the sink. The rind—and the black fuzz clinging to it—reeked, he said, “like feet.”
Still, Blake was committed. He kept at it, scrubbing until the outside looked mostly clean.
“I feel like I’ve committed a sin against cheese,” he joked, unsure if cutting off the rind was sacrilegious.
While some discoloration remained, the mold was largely gone.
So, did Blake score a bargain—or just waste $17?
Thankfully, the risk paid off. In a follow-up video, he sliced into the cheese, revealing a smooth, creamy interior. It looked—and tasted—“delicious,” he said.
“This tastes awesome,” Blake declared, taking a bite on camera.
Is this safe?
Mold on the outside of a cheese rind isn’t always a bad sign—it can mean spoilage, or it might just be part of the cheese’s personality.
If the rind is bloomy, like on Brie or Camembert, the mold is intentional and edible. It adds to the cheese’s flavor and texture. But if you’re dealing with a natural rind or an unintentional growth on a hard cheese, it’s generally safe to cut away the mold along with a bit of the surrounding area.
As Eating Well put it, all cheese is, in a way, mold.
“None of the molds that are likely to grow on your cheeses will make you ill,” the publication noted. “But they will potentially affect the flavor of your cheese, and not in a good way.”
That’s why knowing how to handle mold properly matters. For hard cheeses like Cheddar or Parmesan, slicing off the affected portion usually does the trick. Washed-rind cheeses like Taleggio and Quadrello are a different story—their rinds are meant to be wiped down regularly, and they’re often perfectly fine (and edible) with a quick clean using a damp cloth, brush, or even a light brine or vinegar solution.
In other words, Blake’s moldy wheel may have looked scary, but it wasn’t necessarily doomed.
@electricblake #cheese ♬ original sound – ElectricBlake
Viewers say he scored a sweet deal
In the comments, some viewers agreed: Blake scored a killer wheel of cheese at a bargain price.
“Dude, that’s a $500 wheel of cheese,” one TikToker wrote.
“They entered the weight wrong,” another said after inspecting the label of Blake’s purchase. “Is it $6.99 a pound, but they entered $2.460 instead of $24.60. That should be about a $172 wheel.”
“It’s fine, you scored big,” a third commenter added.
Others guessed that whoever priced the cheese incorrectly would get in trouble.
“Someone is in trouble. You got a great deal,” one man commented.
“Whoever sold that roll, they’re FIRED,” another echoed.
“Someone is gonna be in trouble,” a third viewer said. “That’s more of a price per pound.”
And now that Blake confirmed the cheese was both safe and tasty to eat, some commenters offered advice on what he could do with the wheel.
“I love Gouda!! Make some Mac n cheese!!” one commenter advised. “Try making pasta in your cheese wheel,” another suggested. “I’ve heard it is phenomenal!”
“Cheese freezes well, too,” a third viewer offered.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Blake via TikTok comment and to Hy-Vee through its online contact form.
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