Ever since I can remember, I wanted to go back to France, where I had spent a
memorable summer my junior year at university thanks to a scholarship of the
Alliance Francaise. The two trips – 25 years later! – that I took with my husband
were poignant but much too short to fully immerse myself back in the Franch
culture. Given that two weird circumstances in 2007, of my father’s death – whose
estate I was responsible to handle – and being unemployed, due to handling the
estate, I had the good fortune to have enough cash set aside to realize this dream:
to go back to France for a summer and live like a native. It was absolute heaven
and one that I would like to repeat as often as I can, short of moving to France (my
husband does not speak a word of French and is afraid of losing himself in the French
countryside that lacks access to the Internet and the world of IT that he loves!) For
me, the opportunity to be there was FABULOUS – replete with chances to try the
famed oysters of Marennes and Cancale as well as all the raw, unpasteurized
cheeses I adore, with the red wines I so love from Bordeaux. Here is a small list of
the cheeses I tried!
Montagnard, a cheese from the French Vosges with a washed rind and a runny interior .
Coeur de Neufchatel
This cheese comes from Neufchatel in the "Pays de Bray" which is situated in northern Normandie. It is a
member of the AOC family, and is made in several different shapes. Surprisingly, one of its shape is a
heart, ideal for Valentine’s Day ! A legend tells that in the 100 Years War, the young maidens of
Neufchatel-en-Bray offered this cheese to their gallant English conquerors. To the delight of the priests,
they ate the cheese and thought they were in heaven, as the shape reminded them of angels wings.
The taste is marked but delicate. Eaten with crusty bread and a strong red wine, this cheese is a gourmet
delight.
Its texture and taste is similar to its well known-cousin, Camembert. The dry rind is velvety white, its gold
pate is firm but supple.
Mimolette (24 months)
This cheese is also known under the name of Boule de Lille. The reason being is that the cheeses were
originally matured in cellars situated in the town of Lille. The method of production of the Mimolette is the
same as the Dutch cheese Edam. Some say the cheese originated in Holland, others claim it was always
produced in France. The truth probably lies in the fact that in the 17th century Colbert forbade the
importation of foreign cheeses. The people in Northern France started producing their own. It was only in
1935 under a treaty between France and Holland that the Mimolette was officially recognized.
The pate is semi-hard, pressed and has a colour of orange due to the natural Rocou colouring.
The Mimolette is at its best after 18 months of maturing: the pate becomes hard and crumbly with a salty,
perfumed taste. An excellent cheese for the kitchen, on a savoury appetizer, in salads either grated or in
cubes
Pont l'Eveque
One of the oldest of French cheeses. Its origins trace back to the 12th century under the name of
d'Angelot. It was only in the 17th century that it took its name from the village where it was made,
namely, Pont L'Eveque. The village is situated between Lisieux and Granville in Normandie. This cheese
obtained the AOC rating in 1976.
This cheese is greatly appreciated by cheese lovers for its taste which is acquired from the gentle sun and
humidity that produce the lush green grass in Normandie. The taste is creamy, finely textured and
smooth, extremely pleasant.
As the cheese ripens, the rind takes on an orange/red colour, with a pate that is soft and yellow.
Tomme de chèvre des Pyrénées
Ewe's milk cheeses have been produced in the Pyrénées for centuries but goat's milk like the Tommes de
chevre des pyrenees are very rare. The curd of the goat's milk is wrapped in a cloth, drained and lightly
pressed to discard the whey. This ensures the Tomme de chevre des pyrenees will keep for longer. The
ripened is large, heavy and solid, with a firm white dry and compact pâte that occasionaly splits. The
flavour is rich. The maker's mark - a heart - is embossed on the rind.
Tomme du Jura
The Tomme du Jura enchants the palate with its original savours. It is a cheese of primarily local diffusion
which requires to be known. The Tomme du Jura is a grinding stone which develops an orange rind
covered with white moulds. Its yellow pâte has small holes. It release a quite good smell of cow's milk. On
the palate, the pâte is fine and tasty and melts, leaving a pleasant aftertaste and a sensation of freshness.
Saint Nectaire
Made from Salers cows that feed on the very rich and perfumed volcanic pasture lands of the uplands of
the Auvergne region of France. The Saint Nectaire fermier (farm) cheese is easily recognized by its green
label. The aging process (affinage) is carried out in old vine cellars.
At maturity the thick rind gives off a subtle, slightly pungent smell of rye straw and mushroom. The pâte
should have a pronounced taste of nut, milk and the lush pasture, lands of its origin.
The natural rind, covered by white, yellow or red mould according to the maturing period, hides a creamy
and supple pâte.
Chabichou du Poitou
The Poitou-Charentes region is the cradle of the goat cheese producers. The victory of Charles Martel over
the Sarrasins at Poitiers in 732 created a rebirth of goat cheeses ( chebli in Arabic, from which comes
Chabichou ) which has made Poitou famous. The Chabichou was awarded the AOC in 1990.
The cheese has sweet and delicate taste, touched by a faintly acidic and salty flavour.
The rind is thin with white, yellow and blue mould. The pate is firm and should keep a certain elasticity,
but after a long period of maturing the pate will become crumbly.
Cantal
This distinguished cheese is the grandfather of the cheeses from the Auvergne region. Over the years its
reputation has appealed to more and more cheese lovers. History tells us that 2000 years ago, due to
hard winters in a region where the terrain made travelling difficult, farmers produced large cheeses so
that there was always something to eat throughout the year. In 1980 this remarkable cheese was
accepted into the prestigious AOC family. Auvergne is a region known for a thousand volcanoes; blessed
by mountain storms and summer sun, the pasture lands are extremely fertile; Cantal cheese captures all
the richness of these pasture lands.
A well-ripened Cantal has a vigorous taste, whereas a young cheese has the sweetness of raw milk.
The form of the cheese is massive and dumpy, with a soft yellow interior. When kneaded, the pâte tends
to melt in the hand. The pate is firm and homogeneous, with a thick smooth, dry, greyish/brown rind. It
smell the rich pasture lands.
Ste Maure de Touraine
Sainte Maure is the masterpiece of Touraine goat cheese. This cheese is easily recognized because it has a
long straw that traverses the middle. The straw is placed there to facilitate handling of the Sainte Maure
de Touraine.
The aroma is of walnut. The Sainte Maure de Touraine has a slightly salty taste and depending on the
period of maturation, the savour is nutty.
A Saint Maure farm cheese must have a thin, smooth rind with blue-grey moulding.
Crottin de Chavignol
The true Crottin de Chavignol is produced from the raw milk of an alpine breed of goat easily recognized
by it brown thick coat. This is one of the rare cheeses that can be eaten at different stages of maturity. for
example when the cheese continues to mature after 6 the rind becomes rough and hard over time.
Fresh, it has a creamy, nutty taste. Later on in the maturing process it acquires a pronounced flavour. As
the Crottin de Chavignol continues to mature, the robust taste increases, but is never sour.
Fresh from the cheese vat, it is often eaten clothed in fine herbs and at this stage in the maturing process
it has a creamy texture. After about six weeks the smell of the crottin is stronger and its pate has become
dry and brittle and has a harder texture.
Ossau-Iraty
Ossau-Iraty is probably the least known 'Appelation d'Origine Controlee' (A.O.C) cheese. The Ossau-Iraty
unites two regions of France in the Western Pyrénées: Ossau in the valley of the Bearn, and Iraty in the
beech forests of the Pays Basque.
The Ossau-Iraty is full of a delicious, nutty, robust taste if it is produced during the period from June to
September when the herds move up to the high mountain meadows.
Covered by a thick orange to grey rind, the pâte is white, supple and ceamy. It becomes more firm as the
maturing period is longer. An artisan pate may have small holes and should not stick to the palate.