January 6, 2011

La Fête du Fromage - Le Galletout

Saumur Fromager

My endless pursuit to taste every French cheese means that any time we take a trip in France, some of our holiday time must be devoted to tracking down a Fromagerie or two.  Or three.
I have a very patient husband.

Before each trip I try to do some research online, but it really is surprising how many cheese shops and cheese makers either don't have websites of their own or attempt to include up to date information, like opening days and times, on public websites run by the local Mairie.
So most of the time I just ask for recommendations from the locals.

During our morning of wine tasting at le Tasting Room in the Loire last October, the owner, Cathy, mentioned her favorite little Fromagerie in Saumur.  She couldn't remember the name or the address, but described where it was in relation to a couple of the well known landmarks in town.  I finally found the charming little shop, tucked back on a little lane between the river and la Place Saint-Pierre.

Being that we were in the Loire Valley, home to many famous fromages de chèvre, I expected a decent selection of goat's cheeses.

I was not disappointed.

Chèvre

Galletout

Le Galletout was the first one that caught my eye.
It looked so intriguing; like a crumpled, pale mushroom cap or cloud of meringue.  I always seem to be attracted to unconventional looking cheeses.

Its flavor is sublime!  Cutting through the thin, bloomy rind reveals a dripping, oozing, velvety textured pâte that tastes like a goat's cheese, but not an overly strong, goaty one.  The perfectly balanced flavors are slightly tangy, with hints of soft citrus and milk. 

Le Galletout is an unpasteurized chèvre produced in the Lot, in southwestern France.  It can be eaten young and mild, after only two weeks of affinage, or it can be aged a little bit longer if a stronger flavor is preferred.

Pair with a Pouilly Fumé. Pin It

9 comments:

Ann said...

Ooooh....I'm drinking my morning coffee in Milwaukee and drooling....lovely description and fabulous pics! Merci!

Pepe Le Pew said...

You always get more information by asking a local than from the internet.

Half Baked said...

mmmm Lucky you to get to eat your way through French cheeses! This one looks fantastic!

Prêt à Voyager said...

Oh man, making me wish I had cheese to go with my dinner tonight! . . . also, funny, but a friend of mine helped develop this cheese app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cheese-plate/id409417958?mt=8 you may get a kick out of it (and glad you are humored by paperwork as well!) ;)

Cheers!
Anne

gee backhouse said...

Oh this sounds delicious ... and I haven't had goat's cheese for a long while so my mouth is now watering at the thought of tasting it! Gee x

Betty Carlson said...

I love those many-shaped goats' cheeses you can find in the Loire Valley. I've never seen better selections.

Jennifer said...

Ann
Hope you were able to get some cheese and satisfy your craving. :) Glad you enjoyed the post.

Pepe
I couldn't agree more.

Half Baked
It was fantastic! Nice to hear from you. Happy New Year!


Anne
That's a great app! Thank you for the link.
I love reading French bureaucracy/living/moving stories from others and comparing them to my own. Looks like you've done a great job!

Gee
We picked up another beauty at les Halles in Narbonne on Tuesday. Will post about it next week. You'd love it!

Betty
The variety of goat's cheeses seems to be endless! Lucky us!

Anonymous said...

Fabulous! I love those soft, almost runny goat cheeses. And the firm, funky ones, and the ash-covered ones, and the pyramids, and...

Jennifer said...

Camille
ditto