Best Aquitain Semi-hard 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.
Pair with
THE BEST Ossau-Iraty Cheeses
Petit Basque is a French semi-hard cheese produced in Basque in the Pyreneés Mountains. The cheese was originally hand-made by shepherds from leftover curds from milking the sheep, and it's made from sheep's milk nowadays as well.
The natural rind hides a dry, smooth, and creamy texture. After 70 days of aging, the cheese develops a basket-weave pattern. The aromas are fresh and milky, while the flavors are mild, earthy, subtle, fruity, and sweet with a nutty finish. It's recommended to pair it with fresh fruit, grilled vegetables, or cured meat.
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.
Petit Pardou is a French cheese hailing from the Laruns area. The cheese is made from cow's milk. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is semi-hard. The aromas are intense, while the flavors are pleasant and rustic. It's recommended to pair Petit Pardou with a glass of bold red wine.
Best Aquitain Semi-hard Cheese Producers
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2022
World Cheese Awards - Gold
2023, 2022, 2021
Concours International de Lyon - Gold
2025
BEST Onetik Cheeses
Best Aquitain Semi-hard Cheeses
AWARDS
International Cheese Awards - Gold
2024
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