Best Néo-Aquitain Raw Milk Cheese Types
Ossau-Iraty is an uncooked, pressed, semi-hard cheese made from sheep's milk from the Pyrenees mountain range. Small cheeses of this sort must mature for 60 days, while the standard-sized Ossau-Iraty matures for at least 90 days. Underneath its moldy, iron-gray rind hides an ivory-colored body that is somewhat granular and creamy in its texture and melts very easily.
The flavors are rich and robust - reminiscent of nuts and toasted wheat, sweet and slightly grassy. Ossau-Iraty is so unique that it has a status of one of the first cheeses that were ever produced and is commended as one of the cheeses easiest to pair.
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THE BEST Ossau-Iraty Cheeses
Mothais-sur-Feuille is a traditional cheese hailing from the Poitou-Charentes region. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk since the 19th century, and it's usually left to age for 2 weeks before consumption. Underneath its bloomy rind, the texture is supple, creamy, and dense.
The aromas are light, moldy, and earthy, while the flavors are lemony and woody with a long and delicate aftertaste. As it ages in a room with high humidity, the cheese is placed on a chestnut leaf, and when fully mature the texture becomes runny.
It's recommended to pair the cheese with full-bodied red wines from the region.
THE BEST Mothais-sur-Feuille Cheeses
Chabichou du Poitou is a soft cheese made from full-fat goat's milk, with a characteristic appearance - it is shaped like a small cone called bonde, and it has a thin, wrinkled, white-grayish rind. It usually matures for 10-14 days before it's ready to be sold, but it can also mature for 5-6 weeks in order to develop a stronger taste.
Its texture will become crumbly on the inside during the maturation process. Its taste is sweet, salty and tangy, similar to lemon zest when the cheese is young, or spicy and nutty when well-matured. Chabichou goes well with lighter, white wines, sparkling wines and beer, or with some drizzled honey as a dessert meal.
THE BEST Chabichou du Poitou Cheeses
Coeur de Chevre is a French cheese made from raw milk of the poitevine goat breed. It's easily recognizable by its heart shape, which is left to ripen in cellars for 7 days after it's been molded by hand. The aromas are fresh and milky, the texture is creamy and smooth, melting in the mouth, while the flavors are salty and slightly spicy, becoming even more pronounced if the cheese is left to age for a few months.
Coeur de Chevre is traditionally wrapped in chestnut leaves which hide the bloomy edible rind underneath. It's recommended to pair it with sparkling white wines or light and fruity reds such as Beaujolais.
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Laruns is a French cheese hailing from the region of Laruns. The cheese is primarily made from raw sheep's milk and it's sometimes left to age for up to 6 months before consumption. It can also be made from goat's and cow's milk. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is hard, brittle, and firm.
The aromas are mild, while the flavors are mild, nutty, sweet, acidic, and salty when young, becoming more intense with age. It's recommended to serve young Laruns as a table cheese, while the aged one is good for cooking.
Abbaye de Belloc is a traditional semi-hard cheese produced by Benedictine monks in the Western Pyrénées. The cheese is made from the sheep's milk of a local red-nosed breed of ewes. Its texture is firm, dense, creamy, and rich.
The flavors are sweet, mild, and similar to burnt caramel, and there is a distinctive aroma of lanolin. The natural crusty, greyish-brown rind is inedible. Abbaye de Belloc matures from 4 to 10 months, but it's believed that the cheese is best around 6 months of aging.
Cailladou is a French cheese originating from Allassac in the department of Correze. This fresh farmhouse cheese is made from raw cow’s milk. The texture is creamy, moist, soft, dense, and slightly grainy. The aromas are reminiscent of fresh milk, while the flavors are delicate, milky, and tangy.
When consumed, the cheese is slightly melting on the palate.
Carré du Poitou is a traditional cheese originating from Villemain. This square-shaped cheese is made from raw goat’s milk, and it’s left to age for at least 4 weeks before consumption. Underneath its bloomy and ashy rind, the texture is soft, dense, smooth, creamy, and slightly runny.
The aromas are reminiscent of milk and hay, while the flavors are creamy, goaty, and fresh, with hints of hazelnuts. It’s recommended to try the cheese after it has been aged for 5 weeks, in the period from May to August (we’re not trying to say that it’s not good outside that period, but it’s the best from May to August).
Cendré de Niort is a French cheese hailing from the region of Poitou-Charentes. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk and it's usually left to age for 6 weeks before consumption. Underneath its ash-coated rind, the texture is delicate and smooth when young, but it becomes more dense with further ageing.
The aromas are barnyardy, a result of wrapping the cheese in chestnut leaves, while the flavors are fresh, herbaceous, piquant, milky, and complex. It's recommended to pair Cendré de Niort with fruity and light red wines such as Chinon. Serve the cheese with a baguette or use it in various salads.
Pair with
Margotin is a traditional cheese hailing from Perigord. The cheese is made from a combination of raw goat's and cow's milk. The texture is soft, yet firm underneath its natural rind, while the color is pale yellow. Margotin comes in a few versions where it's enriched with pepper or herbs, so the aromas can be herbal and pepper, and the flavor delicate yet spicy.
The most popular version is called Margotin au poivre, which is enriched with pepper.
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