October 7, 2009

La Fête du Fromage - La Souréliette

The cutesy name of this cheese just begged for an equally cutesy nickname, and it came to me immediately after buying it. The French word for mouse is une souris and the French verb for smile is sourire, thus la Souréliette was christened The Smiling Mouse.

But the cutesy name didn't stick.
As soon as I found out that la Souréliette is actually named after the Occitan word for the sun - sourel - The Smiling Mouse seemed a bit silly.

And this unforgettable, unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese deserves respect!


La Souréliette de Fédou, also called la Souréliette de Hyelzas, is produced at La Fromagerie de Hyelzas le Fédou in the small village of Hyelzas in the picturesque Lozère département.

It is an uncooked, pressed mountain cheese that gives off a slight barnyard aroma as soon as it comes to room temperature. Its texture is supple and chewy, yet very dense and rich, and it is infused with a wonderful buttery, nutty flavor that is neither too mild nor too strong.

La Souréliette is perfect for those who don't like aggressive cheese, but crave one with real character.

A glass of hearty red such as Cahors or Gaillac would be a good wine pairing.

no need to eat the moldy rind Pin It

4 comments:

Amanda said...

How many cheeses do they sell in "fromageries"? I am sure they can't have 365 plus in the stores. What is the most amount on display in fromageries in Paris? I would think in small cities, they might have the usual ones and the specialties of the region.

spacedlaw said...

I'd never heard of that one but it looks wonderful!

Tina said...

Jealous! Local specialties.. They make you feel so.. Special. =)

Jennifer said...

Nadège
I wish I had the answers to your questions, but I really have no idea how many cheeses are sold in the average Fromagerie. Sorry!

spacedlaw
It was a good one!

tina
:)