|
|
- Home
- French cheese back in stock
French cheese back in stock
Posted on 23rd Jul 2010 @ 3:51 PM
The Bastille Day promotion went so well that our supplier ran out of stock.
That has now been rectified with a new air freight consigment being unpacked at our warehouse today
All you favourites are available again. To recap, the product featured are again listed below. Bon Apetit!
 |
Munster Washed Rind
Munster is an ancient cheese, of monastic origins dating back to the Middle Ages so it is very significant in the overall picture of cheese.
It comes from the Province of Alsace bordering close by Germany. Benedictine Monks from Ireland who settled in the area of the Vosges first made "Munster Kaes" in the 7Th Century.
The Monks taught the local peasants how to make this cheese, as a way to preserve their milk and produce nourishing food. It also served a means by which the Monks could charge the peasants a rent for the land used for grazing.
Munster Gerome is a small version of the traditional larger round, thus making it perfect for retail or restaurant cheese plates.
It is a soft, supple round, has a smooth, reddish rind and a strong penetrating smell. The taste ranges from subtle when young to spicy when mature.
Match with beer, Pinot Noir and full bodied red wines.
|
 |
Livarot Washed Rind
A well-known speciality from the Normandy. Soft cheese with a washed rind.
The Livarot obtains its shape from the bands which surround the cheese. (Nowadays these bands are made of paper, in the older days they were made of reed - Typha latifolia-).
This cheese matures in humid cellars for 2-3 weeks where the rind is washed off regularly.
The rind is quite grainy and hard. We recommend you cut the rind before consumption. Strong flavour.
Click here to find out more about cheese
|
 |
Fourme D' Ambert Blue Cheese
Fourme d'Ambert is one of France's oldest cheeses, the name "Fourme" is the old French word for cheese from the Latin noun forma, describing its cylindrical shape. Ambert is the mountainous town in Auvergne where the cheese is made.
The people of this town have been making Fourme d'Ambert since the 7th century! Fourme d'Ambert is high in moisture and compact in texture, so the blue mould does not spread in veins like other Blues, rather it forms in distinct, disconnected pockets making it much creamier and therefore less crumbly.
The loaves are matured in very damp cellars for at least four weeks. The Fourme goes through a ripening process of a minimum of 28 days. The rind is dry and yellow and wrapped in grey velvet. Inside, the pate is creamy, moist, and has a faint hint of blue mould. Its flavour is mild, with light nut and mushroom overtones.
In May 9, 1972, the Fourme was granted the very coveted AOC label. As a whole the Fourme d'Ambert is a tall cylindrical cheese (height 19cm, diameter 13cm) and its average weight is 2 kg. It is sold by horizontally cut slices, with a fat content of 45%. Today production is with pasteurised milk.
Click here to find out more about cheese.
|
 |
Le Petit Camembert
This French Camembert is air freighted direct from Paris and is perfect for picnics, entertaining, or dare we say even for deep fried camembert. Lovely oozing consistency at room temperature and not overpowering.
Click here to find out more about cheese.
Cheese Club members get first offering on new cheese releases. Cheese Club membership is free. Click here to become a member of the cheese club
|
 |
Chabichou du Poitou
The AOC (granted in 1990) version of this cheese is made from raw Goats milk. A small, almost conical shaped (The shape is known as a "Bonde"in French which translates to "bung") cheese that can be fresh, or matured is delicate and slightly sweet. The rind, depending on affinage can vary from soft and downy to rustic. Chabichou is made all year round
Chabichou du Poitou, is only produced in specific regions. In the case of this cheese, it is made in the Poitou-Charentes region. |
 |
Chevre D' Argental
Soft goat milk cheese with a white mould rind from the Lyon region. Fine goat flavour.
As the cheese matures, it is softer and creamier, and also easier to spread.
The cheese has a fantastic flavour without being too strong.
Click here to find out more about cheese
|
 |
Crottin De Chavignol
Crottin de Chavignol is the most famous goat cheese of the many varieties produced in the Loire Valley. This cheese is the claim to fame for the village of Chavignol, France, which has only has a few hundred inhabitants.
The tiny Village of Chavignol in the Loire Valley claims to have a population of only a few hundred residents. Of the numerous Goats Cheese in France, Crottin is one of the more noteworthy and is the cheese that Chavignol hangs its' hat on as their benchmark cheese.
Although Crottin was only mentioned in 1829, the cheese has a heritage that goes back to the 16th century according to folklore.
The cheese is still produced using traditional methods to maintain its AOC status, but, has to be produced in Chavignol to carry the AOC label.
The flavour is nutty and subtle and a young cheese will have a white rind which will slightly blue with age. As it matures the cheese becomes a bit crumbly. A crottin that has tinges of blue does not make it inedible, in fact, quite the opposite |
 |
Saint Marcellin
Saint Marcellin is a cheese over 500 years old yet remains lesser known by comparison to many others in France. It hails from the South east in the Dauphine region, north of Provence, and is often found in local markets in small discs or even in small porcellin moulds for perfect ageing. Traditionally Saint Marcellin was made from goats' milk, yet this has virtually all but disappeared and is quite hard to find. Almost all production is now made from cows' milk. Saint Marcellin comes individually packaged in its own container, weighing in at 80 grams. When young it's quite firm and chalky with a light bloomy white mould. Ideally aged between 6-8 weeks, this soft ripened cheese round will gradually develop a beige colour with perhaps some exterior blue mould. The texture at this point becomes quite soft and just runny. The flavour is not unlike Fromage de Meaux, but being a smaller round the flavour is more intense - more mushroomy, truffly, with some yeast and tangy flavours as well. In Paris you will find cheese shops such as Alleosse and Barthelemy that specialise in St Marcellin when it is in peak condition - just runny. Served at room temperature with fresh bread, and a full bodied red wine, eg Chƒteauneuf du Pape |
 |
Petit Sapin Vacherin
This exquisite cheese is made in the Franche-Comte region bordering Switzerland. Petite Sapin is a pasteurised cows milk cheese in the style of a Mont d'Or.
Made from mountain milk, master cheese makers are able to produce this magnificent flavoured cheese that closely resembles the complex flavours ordinarily found only in raw milk cheese.
It is sold and ripened in its own individual box. The wooden band maintains the cheese shape and should not be removed even when serving.
It is a Vacherin style cheese so it shows a creamy tending to runny centre encased by a solid, crumpled rind. The aroma is not overpowering, however it does have an appealing rustic earthy smell which is partly a reflection of the high quality of the mountain milk.
Click here to find out more about cheese
|
 |
Epoisses de Berthaut
Epoisses is a soft, washed rind cow's milk cheese from the province of Burgundy. It disappeared from production during World War 2, and was revived by Monsieur Berthaut in 1956.
Small flat cylinders about 10cm in diameter and 4 cm in height are washed in a brine and marc solution every two days. Affinage takes about 4 weeks in humid cellars at which stage it will be young and present a slight "chalk line".
The cheese feels very supple, but resilient and has a smooth, shiny, orange brick coloured rind. As the cheese matures from the outside in, over the next 4 - 6 weeks, the aroma develops and the centre becomes a creamy paste which at full maturity is at its best.
The flavour will be quite spicy and tangy. This cheese from Berthaut wins many awards in Paris for its class, and again in 2004 won the gold medal "Medaille D'Or" Paris 2004 at Concours General Agricole.
Epoisses was granted AOC in 1991, the AOC guarantees that the cheese of quality has been produced within a specified region and follows established methods of production. *marc is the spirit from distilled wine pressings.
Click here to find out more about cheese
Calvin Says.... This cheese is best eaten stinky and sticky. It's "bark is worse than it's bite!" Absolutely superb cheese with spicy and smoky overtones and a full back pallete. This cheeese has the ability to convert the "non washed rind". It will make a big impression as soon as you open the box. |
|
