La Fête du Fromage - Séchon de l'Ardèche

This petit chèvre packs a serious punch!

When I choose this little cheese at my favorite Fromagerie in Narbonne, the woman behind the counter told me, actually it was more of a warning, that it was a very dry and strong cheese. "Oui, oui, d'accord," I replied, thinking, bring it on lady, I'm no cheese virgin.

Well, she was right to give warning.

Séchon de l'Ardèche may look like an innocent, little, wrinkly goat's cheese, but it surprisingly potent!
In a really, really good way.


The Ardèche is a rural département in southern France that is known for its rugged, natural beauty, stunning scenery, chestnuts, charcuterie and an AOC goat's cheese, Picodon de l'Ardèche.

Séchon de l'Ardèche is like Picodon on steroids.
Again, in a good way.


The slightly moldy, edible, dry rind breaks open to reveal a brittle, crumbling cheese that has an earthy, tangy and rather goaty aroma. The flavor is rustic and extremely rich and peppery.
The texture -wow! - dense and very, very chewy. It completely coats your mouth with its rich, full texture and flavor.

For those who don't appreciate strong cheeses or "goaty" chèvres, avoid Séchon de l'Ardèche. If you're like me however, and adore them, this is one to try!



Some red Côtes-du-Rhône or white Crozes-Hermitage would be good matches with this piquant cheese. Pin It

Only 10 Days To Go!

A little morsel of information drifted across my radar the other day that I am very excited about.

Next Saturday March 28, in just 10 days time, France is celebrating the 8ème Journée Nationale du Fromage - the 8th Annual National Day of Cheese !
It's a ginormous, nationwide Fête du Fromage!

You have plenty of time to get out there and buy some Brie de Meaux or Bleu d'Auvergne, purchase a piece of Picodon, shop for some Selles-sur-Cher or Saint Marcellin, or pick up a small square of Pont-l'Evêque. Why not try something new? I'm sure there's some smelly French cheese that you have always wanted to taste.

Come on...it will be an adventure.




Let's celebrate la Journée Nationale du Fromage together! Write in and let me know what cheese you're going to try. Pin It

Fromage...continued

I finally have the chance to add to the post I started the other day about last week's delectable cheese tasting with my sister.

For someone who finds Roquefort cheese a bit too...well...fort, the Bleu des Basques was a breath of fresh air. It had all the qualities I appreciate in a bleu cheese, without being too salty or overwhelming. It was sophisticated, smooth and very, very tasty.

The little Picodon had a dense, chalky interior with an earthy flavor and a blue-grey rind from aging. It is made from raw goat's milk in the mountains of the Rhone-Alps, specifically the Ardèche and the Drôme. It was granted AOC status in 1991 and has its own festival every summer.



A final taste of Brie de Meaux was supposedly the last wish of Louis XVI before he was sent to the guillotine and it was also declared the "King of Cheese" at the Congress in Vienna in 1814. Creamy and rich with hints of hazelnut and fruit, Brie de Meaux has been made for over 1000 years and was a favorite of Charlemagne's. It is made from unpasteurized cow's milk and was granted AOC status in 1980.

Beaufort, delicious Beaufort! Made in the French Alps and aged for four to twelve months, it has a lovely, buttery scent and is best when served with white wine. It's flavor is smooth and fruity. The best is Beaufort d'Alpage which is made exclusively from the milk of free roaming Tarentaise cows that graze on the alpine grasses and flowers. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage...continued

We picked up some cheese at les Halles in Béziers yesterday where a very kind woman at la fromagerie helped us choose a few from the numerous varieties available.
We ended up with the following:

Bleu de Basque
Beaufort
Picodon
Brie de Meaux

There's no time to write about these cheeses at the moment as we're off again in the morning to drive to the villa near Cannes. We'll be back in a few days.
Let me just say that they were fantastic! Especially the Beaufort. Oh my god, what heavenly cheese! Pin It