La Fête du Fromage - La Couronne des 3 Seigneurs

The sweet, fresh flavor of La Couronne des 3 Seigneurs perfectly embodies the mountains of the Ariège Pyrénées, where this goat's cheese is produced.

There is nothing complex about about this delicate fromage férmier, all around it is very easy on the senses. There is almost no aroma, the texture is soft and fine and it has pleasant flavors of fresh milk, mellow citrus and a hint of salt. Yet for such a mild cheese, we thought it was fantastic!

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La Fête du Fromage - Brebis Férmier de David

One of the trio of cheeses that I picked up last November in Gascony got overlooked. Lost in the shuffle. Disregarded.
Ironically it was the favorite of we three tasters.

I think that after four days of canard, butchery education, Armagnac, fritons, the stunning scenery of Gascony and the enthusiasm and inspiration of Kate Hill, I was lulled into a blissful stupor. Obviously I'm still recovering.
But I can't wait to return.

Brebis Férmier de David is sold by a special fromager in Eauze who handpicks artisan and small farm produced cheeses from the Béarn region of the Pyrénées.
If I had to come up with one word to describe this unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese it would be lusty. The full-bodied, almost sharp, concentrated flavor is pure heaven on the palate. It has a flaky, crumbly texture and smells of fresh ewe's milk and grasses.
A bit like an aged Pecorino Romano. I loved it!

And enjoyed with a glass of 100% old vine carignan from the Minervois, it was even better.


Here's a very different Brebis Férmier from Aveyron that I tasted last summer. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Chèvre Férmier de Philippe

This cheese invoked some interesting comments during our tasting.
"Looks like a fine sponge."
"The texture reminds me of angel food cake."

Voilà Chèvre Férmier de Philippe, another special cheese from the fromager in Eauze who sells only small farm produced and artisan cheeses from the Pyrénées. I owe Kate Hill a huge thank you for taking me to see him.



Farm produced goat cheeses usually offer a healthy hit of goat flavor and this one didn't fail in that respect. Despite the medium-strong goatiness, this is an extremely well balanced, delicate and nutty cheese. Chèvre de Philippe's fine flavor and wonderful springy texture brought us all back for seconds. Then again for thirds.
I would have gone back for fourths, but we were tasting two other cheeses so I managed to show some restraint.

I've never seen these Pyrénées cheeses that are named after their producers down here in the Languedoc, so I think a trip back up to Gascony to track down this fantastic fromager is in my future!

Enjoyed with a glass of 100% old vine carignan. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Vache Férmier de Jean-François

The little car hurtled across the lush Gascon countryside and deep down into Armagnac country where it finally came to a halt in the market town of Eauze, our destination. Our plans for the day were simple: pick up a few fresh vegetables and some other treats at the market for dinner, then have a bite of lunch before an afternoon of Armagnac tasting. If only every day were like this one!

Kate also wanted me to meet a special fromager at the market whom she is friendly with.
What makes him special is that he hand picks and sells the cheese from a few select producers based in the Béarn area of the Pyrénées. As the cheeses are all produced by artisans or on small farms, they are given the names of their producers.

Let me introduce you to Vache Férmier de Jean-François.




This is a typical, rich and buttery unpasteurized mountain cheese. The flavor of sweet grasses softly perfume the pâte and the lovely nutty flavor is really delicious. I noticed a mild saltiness and the texture is supple and chewy. All around a very enjoyable fromage férmier. Jean-Françios should be very proud of his creation.
And for the price of only €9.95 a kilo, this cheese is a bargain!

We opened a bottle of 100% old vine carignan and found it to be a superb wine pairing.


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Photo du Jour - Lunch with a View

Lunch with a gorgeous view over the vineyards and the Pyrénées. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Languedoc Views

The mountains were sparkling in the sun yesterday. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Le Napoléon Commingeois

You'll have to forgive the effusive gushing that is about to follow...
after all, I have been deprived of French cheese for almost an entire month!

Le Napoléon Commingeois looks like your average ewe's milk cheese from the Pyrénées, but its rich, delectable flavor far surpasses any of the other cheeses from this region that I've tasted thus far. (Etorki and Ossau-Iraty for example)


I was so impatient to taste it that I quickly unwrapped the creamy colored wedge the minute I got home from the market and started taking photos. No food styling today! Then I cut off a small morsel and savored what is truly a little piece of heaven.

Le Napoléon Commingeois has a mild, tangy fragrance and a full-bodied, smooth and chewy texture. Its refined and well balanced flavor offers hints of rich butter, fruit and mountain grasses.
This exceptional tasting, fermier cheese is produced in the Comminges region of southern France. Only whole, unpasteurized ewe's milk is used, and it is aged for at least 10 months before it reaches the public.

In a word: divine.


An intensely flavored wine such as Jurançon sec or a white Anjou would pair well with Le Napoléon.



Don't Forget! March 15 is the monthly round-up of La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event. Entries are already trickling in, so if you would like to join us, please have your entry to me by March 13.

Tell us why you chose this particular cheese. Tell us how it tasted. Tell us about its texture and aroma. Did you eat it on its own? Or with something? Did you drink anything special with your cheese? Would you recommend it or not? Is there something unusual or interesting about it?

• Photos are wonderful, but not necessary
• Entries must contain the words La Fête du Fromage and contain a link to Chez Loulou
• Posts should be written specifically for La Fête du Fromage and not entered in any other food blog event
• Please send the link to your post to louloufrance (at) gmail (dot) com with the words Fête du Fromage in the subject line

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Photo du Jour

The snow on the peaks of the Pyrénées was absolutely brilliant the other day. Pin It

Tuesday's Tastings

This week I finally tasted a cheese that I've wanted to try for years, Banon à la Feuille. I've read and heard so much about this little cheese that I had very high expectations. Suffice to say, it was out of this world!
We also tasted a wonderful Tomme de Chèvre and a lovely, rich Maroilles.


Banon has to be one of the most alluring, heady and luscious things I've ever tasted.
It is a raw goat's milk cheese that is wrapped in chestnut leaves, dipped in marc de Provence or eau de vie, tied up with raffia and left to mature for a few weeks. It can be eaten young, while the leaves are still green and the cheese is crumbly and tart or aged, like the one I bought, which was ultra ripe and runny and the leaves had turned brown, causing the crust to darken a bit. The flavor was winey, fruity, woodsy and amazing! Banon has been produced in Provence near the village of Banon since the Roman times and it was granted AOC status in 2003.
Good wine pairing would be a Chenin Blanc or a big red from Bordeaux.

before unwrapping


Banon oozing all over the place


The Tomme de Chèvre was made locally, about an hour away in the Pyrénées mountains. It is made from either pasteurized or unpasteurized goat's milk and the flavor was rich and nutty with a firm but creamy texture. Compared to the other two, the Tomme didn't really stand out, but it is a delicious cheese.
A good wine pairing would be a Minervois or a Saumur.

A trip to Les Halles in Narbonne yielded a nice chunk of Maroilles, a cheese from the north of France that our friends Jean-Pierre and Agnès said we must try. It gained AOC status in 1976 and was first produced by monks in the Abbey of Maroilles over 1000 years ago.
I bought the unpasteurized cow's milk Maroilles, but it is also made from pasteurized milk. The rind is bright orange color, the taste is slightly salty and tangy and the odor really makes an impression. You should have smelled our fridge!
Châteauneuf du Pape is the recommended wine to drink with Maroilles.


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