Hear! Hear!
I read this line in an article about Camembert just this morning!
While this week's cheese is not an AOC Camembert from Normandy, it is a Camembert fermier, more specifically, a Camembert Brebis from the Corbières.
This is the third cheese I've tasted from the dynamic duo, Chantal and Jean-Gabriel Donnet, the owners of the sole sheep farm in the Corbières. In January we tasted their luscious Brebis des Corbières and in early April we tasted their elegant Tomette des Corbières.
Mme. Donnet was at the market in Carcassonne last week, so I had the honor of meeting and chatting with the friendly Fromagère, in addition to tasting several more of her cheeses.
She was very kind, patient with my questions, and when I told her about my Fête du Fromage project, she seemed pleased that she'd been included.
Mme. Chantal Donnet slicing a piece of Tomme de Brebis for me to tasteNow, on to the cheese....
Another sublime discovery! The unpasteurized Camembert Brebis had a well balanced, earthy and mushroomy, mildly strong flavor that was both tangy and slightly salty. The aroma was sweet, grassy and soft and the texture was pure Camembert-creamy.
It was the best Camembert we've tasted in a long time. (and after the recently tasted, locally made Camembert Fermier, I never expected to find myself saying that)
Local, Minervois red wine was a perfect match as would wine from the Corbières.
The article also states that a recent census discovered that there are more than 1000 cheeses being produced in France. If that is true, I've got my work cut out for me! Pin It
14 comments:
1000 cheeses. Wow! Do you have any idea how many cheeses you have had?
My number is probably very low. I am guessing 75-100, and I am inlcuding Cheese Whiz and Velvetta in that count.
Wow! That's a lot of cheese! I wish we have those kind of cheese back here.
OK, lets put the cheese aside for a moment....you are a brave woman to ask for a photo. Dude. I'm just sayin'. Brave with some cajones. Ok, not on to the cheese.
Yeah, yum.
1000? That's a lot of cheese. Gad, I sound a bit retarded now. I'ts almost midnight and i'm still awake.
la belette rouge
I've tasted about 85 French cheeses so far. Cheeses from around the world...not sure!
gay
That is a hell of a lot of cheese. I'll be tasting for the rest of my life at this rate.
Colleen
I was like a rock star groupie! She was very gracious and quite surprised that I wrote about their cheese.
Go to bed!
The cheese lady has a lovely smile.
Are they in Carcassonne market on Saturdays?
Last time I went midweek and there was a guy selling just a few types of hard cheese; from the Pyrenees, I think. It was great and had an intense taste but I didn't get the name of it. It had probaly been carefully matured over about 5 years.
John
Yes, she is in Carcassonne on Saturday mornings. She was very nice to talk to and invited me to the farm, which I can't wait to visit.
Your Pyrénées cheese sounds like Cantal vieux or Laguiole?
I don't think they should call their brebis cheese a cambembert. Wonder why they chose that Normandy name? Why not call it a minervois brebis?
ken,
I think they call it that because it is made in the style of Camembert.
They could call it a Corbières Brebis, but they already make a Brebis des Corbières, so I think they're trying to distinguish between the two styles. (http://chezlouloufrance.blogspot.com/2008/01/la-fte-du-fromage-from-minervois-and.html)
That is just a guess though...
Hello! I stumbled over your blog while following links and stopped because I recognised the photo of Chantal -- we must be neighbours :-) For anyone else seeking her wonderful cheese, she is at the marché in Lézignan on Wednesdays. She didn't have any Camembert yesterday though -- I'd have liked to try some after your mouth-watering description.
Oh, and I love your photos too.
veronica
Thanks for letting me know about Lézignan....much closer for me than Carcassonne!
Nice to meet you. We are just up the road from Olonzac. Where are you?
Hi Loulou
We are midway between Lézignan and Lagrasse ... dans les Corbières.
PS if you like goat's cheese, try the chèvre frais from Ferrals, also available at the market in Lézignan.
Veronica
veronica
We are almost neighbors!
Thanks for the cheese recommendation.
Argh, wonderful-sounding cheeses like this one make me anxious once again to be able to eat unpasteurized cheese!! That, and drink lovely red wine to my heart's content (of course I recognize it's all for a good cause!). Ah, after the baby arrives...
Late Bloomer
Yes, for a good cause, but I'm sure there are moments of strong cravings!
Soon you'll be able to enjoy cheese and wine again.
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