I finally have the chance to add to the post I started the other day about last week's delectable cheese tasting with my sister.
For someone who finds Roquefort cheese a bit too...well...fort, the Bleu des Basques was a breath of fresh air. It had all the qualities I appreciate in a bleu cheese, without being too salty or overwhelming. It was sophisticated, smooth and very, very tasty.
The little Picodon had a dense, chalky interior with an earthy flavor and a blue-grey rind from aging. It is made from raw goat's milk in the mountains of the Rhone-Alps, specifically the Ardèche and the Drôme. It was granted AOC status in 1991 and has its own festival every summer.
A final taste of Brie de Meaux was supposedly the last wish of Louis XVI before he was sent to the guillotine and it was also declared the "King of Cheese" at the Congress in Vienna in 1814. Creamy and rich with hints of hazelnut and fruit, Brie de Meaux has been made for over 1000 years and was a favorite of Charlemagne's. It is made from unpasteurized cow's milk and was granted AOC status in 1980.
Beaufort, delicious Beaufort! Made in the French Alps and aged for four to twelve months, it has a lovely, buttery scent and is best when served with white wine. It's flavor is smooth and fruity. The best is Beaufort d'Alpage which is made exclusively from the milk of free roaming Tarentaise cows that graze on the alpine grasses and flowers. Pin It
5 comments:
you are almost, almost making want to try some of these cheeses. i know, i know, how can someone live in france and not like cheese? fairly well thank you very much. the fault really lies with my husband who is disappointed i can't find, gasp, string cheese here. he makes do with the mini babybels. i think i would be more inclined to try different cheeses if i could get them in smaller portions without having to talk to the scary cheese lady at my grocery store. the beaufort sounds really delicious actually. have you tried any corsican cheeses?
Love, love, love cheese. I want a cheese tasting too now!
cara,
string cheese??? that really made me laugh! :)
Haven't tried any Corsican cheeses yet. I'll have a look for some and let you know what I think.
sognatrice
what regional cheeses do you have in Calabria? My Grandparents are from there and I always remember this big, round cheese they had hanging in their basement that we called "stinky cheese"! But I'm not sure what it's real name was.
sadly i went to the store yesterday to find some similar cheeses to those i tasted in France. it was HORRIBLY disappointing...what is with american cheese? 42 kinds of cheddar (and string cheese), but nothing even CLOSE to the yumminess of my cheese tasting with you. i wandered around the "cheese department" (term used lightly) like a lost puppy (could have been the jet lag). I came home with 3 cheeses and some olives (none of which even look good), but alas I will try and see. it is now my JOB to find some stinking good cheeses in santa cruz county :)
I'm with sognatrice...I want a cheese tasting too!!
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