June 17, 2008

La Fête du Fromage - Trappe Echourgnac

Smoky

That was my first impression of Trappe Echourgnac.



Nutty was my second.

Which would make sense as Trappe Echourgnac is matured in walnut liqueur from the Périgord.
And that isn't the only unique aspect of this week's cheese.

Also notable is that this cow's milk cheese is produced by nuns at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Bonne Espérance (our Lady of Good Hope) in the Dordogne.
Previously, monks made cheese at the same site, then called the Abbaye d'Echourgnac, until war interrupted their lives in 1910. A group of Cistercian nuns took over the Abbey, changed its name, took up where the monks left off and began producing this special walnut liqueur infused cheese in 1999.

Trappe Echourgnac has a heady, smoky aroma and a smooth, buttery texture. Surprisingly, even though this is a rich cheese, the flavor is quite mild. I would happily eat it again!

A robust red Cahors is a good match for this aromatic cheese. Pin It

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's your opinion about matching regional wines to their respective cheeses - I see you put a Cahors wine with a Dordogne cheese - any specific instances where you think it's a great idea to break the rules?

Jennifer said...

ann
I think that in most cases, the wine or beer or cider of a region pairs best with the cheese of that region.
However, everyone has their own likes and dislikes so you have to make your own rules. :)
We often drink local red or white wine with cheese from out of the region, purely for convenience. There are several wine makers in our village, but if I needed wine from the Loire or the Savoie, for instance, I would have to drive to a big grocery store that is 40 minutes away.
I hope this helps!

agentofkaos said...

Just enjoyed Trappe Echourgnac with Chimay Blue (readily available Trappist Belgian beer) - delicious.

Jennifer said...

agentofkaos
Sounds like a perfect combination. I must try.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!