Ost Arkiver

Abondance

Av OstePerler 31/05/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Ost

Abondance, this French semi firm favorite of mine. Mountain cheese from the northern part of the Haute-Savoie region, bordering Switzerland. Well, there are two Savoies; Haute-Savoie and Savoie. Upper Savoie and Savoie in other words. Perhaps the most beautiful area of all France, attractive both summer and winter, but definitely most famous for its winter attractions.

Abondance from the Haute-Savoie region of France. Photo: Paolo Rey

Travel the Savoie region

To get around and experience their array of excellent cheese, food and wine in general, summer is the best time of year, though. Look to the right for some more information about Abondance and the region.

A bit of history

The cheese takes it name from the valley and town of the same name. Nothing exceptional in that. In fact very common.
It has been around for quite a while and as is so often the case, it was local monks that started off the whole thing. They worked with the local farmers to create this magnificent cheese. In 1381, Abondance cheese was served up to the papal conclave that met in Avignon to elect the new Pope. This was the moment at which Abondance cheese gained its reputation for excellence which it has maintained ever since. But it took till 1990 before it earned its AOC/PDO. Well deserved, if you ask me.

Farmstead and fruitière

As the yearly output is only about 2400 tons this is not a cheese for the big industrial dairies. Most of the cheese is actually produced on farms, carries a green label, but there are some small artisanal dairies as well, making the cheese, oftentimes called fruitière. These have a red label. All Abondance cheese is hand made, though.

Three breeds

There are just three breeds of cattle that are allowed to deliver the milk for the Abondance cheese. Tarine, or Tarentaise if you like; Montbèliarde and of course Abondance. So Abondance is the name of a cheese, a valley, a town and a cattle breed.

During the summer many of the farms take their cattle to graze in the high mountain pastures, a belt of grassland that winds its way through the mountains. Actually up to almost 1900 meters above sea level.

Abondance facts

Made by raw whole cow milk from the breeds mentioned above. This is a semi firm cheese. Matured for a minimum of 100 days in caves and on spruce planks.
What is so typical for an Abondance is the concave sides of the wheel. A complete wheel weighs 8 to 12 kilos, by the way, so in alpine terms this is a small cheese.

Texture is semi firm with a few small scattered holes and melting with a slightly bitter but fruity flavor; nuts. The color of the rind is amber.

To drink

Local Savoie white wines of course. Chablis. Light and fruity reds such as Beaujolais, but also elegant white Burgundies. You can even try the neighbouring Vin Jaune from the Jura. If you are not familiar with this wine, equip yourself with a back-up.

Abondance, Ost fra Savoie, osteperler

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A Goat and a Ewe

Av OstePerler 27/05/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Ost

I called on one of my favorite cheese mongers this last Saturday. A sunny day, by the way. It’s been rather cold and wet lately so the warming sun was very welcome. That’s where the theme for this blog post turned up; a goat and a ewe.

Lou Rocaillou

It so happened they had announced a soft ewe’s milk cheese called Lou Rocaillou that was new to me. Most of the ewe milk cheeses are either semi firm or even on the firm side, so a soft one was especially tempting. Always eager to try out new cheeses stuff of course, I called on them to shop my piece.
From a village called Hures-la-Parade in the Department of Lozère; that’s the Midi-Pyrenées.

Le Pisé du Lot

As I was there, scanning the cheese counter, I spotted a goat milk cheese from the south west of France, Lachapelle Auzac in the department of Lot right to the east of Bordeaux. New to me this one as well. Chèvre. There is a multitude of different Chèvres in France, so you’re lucky if you know them all. I certainly do not. Yet, at least. Not that it is a goal, even though I am vey fond of this style. This Chèvre is called Le Pisé du Lot. Disc formed and from raw milk.

Soft, but mature

Both of them are matured for two weeks, giving them a little more strength than the very fresh ones. The ewe milk cheese being milder than the Chèvre, as always. I think especially the Chèvre has had a few weeks shelf life. transport and so on because it gave a burning impression on both sides of the tongue. Typical for rathe mature Chèvre. As long as it’s not too intense it is okay.

Two rather rare and fine soft cheeses that I am glad I came across. A goat and a ewe.

To drink

Not necessarily the same wine with these two. For Le Pisé du Lot I would recommend a dry white Bordeaux, from Entre-deux-Mers. If you want to step up the quality and the price; look for an AOC Pessac-Léognan. The Lou Rocaillou comes from an area further south east and I suggest you choose a local wine. From the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Dry this one as well. For both of them, try to avoid too much oak as most wines from these regions have been kept a while in barrels. At least check the oak is well integrated.

Chèvre. Myk fåremelksost, osteperler

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The French Cheese Paradox

Av OstePerler 23/05/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Ost

There is something with France, well there is a lot with France that attract us as visitors and our attention in general. Among the latter is the French Cheese Paradox. Originally it was the French paradox, and still is, but lately something called the French cheese paradox has also appeared on the radar.

The French Cheese Paradox

The French paradox is why are all French so healthy in spite of drinking a lot of wine, cooking with oil and so on. Well, wine is generally good for you, even though scientists argue pro and con, so I don’t think we’ve reached the big final answer yet. Then the oil, but also the vegetables. They use olive oil of course, a lot of fish and light meat like chicken and veal. That’s good for you.

SONY DSC — Persille de Malzieu – blue Ewe’s milk cheese

Blue cheese

But then, what I have chosen to call the French cheese paradox appeared. First related to blue cheese. And they have a lot of it. Not just Roquefort. Scientists, I even think they were from Britain, found a correlation between eating blue cheese and good health. The French are eating a lot of blue cheese, they’re making a lot of blue cheese as well. Some called just a name like Roquefort, some called Bleu de and and something, still others Persille(s) de….

..and then all cheese

Then recently science has come up with a theory that all cheese is good for you, and that of course underscores still more the fact that the French are so healthy. At least that is the impression. The French cheese paradox. They make a lot of cheese. They eat a lot of cheese. As it is; milk fat, when processed into a cheese, is not bad for you at all. Rather to the contrary.

Goats and Ewes

They also eat a lot of cheese made from goat’s and ewe’s milk that are generally healthier than cow’s milk under any circumstance. In my country, most of the cheese consumed is from cow’s milk.

My experience

Just look at myself. Not doing a lot of exercise, drinking very moderate amounts of alcohol and mostly wine, eating more than average amounts of fish I must admit, but also a lot of cheese. And I have very low cholesterol levels. Some of that of course from the fish, but also a lot from the cheese. I am convinced; because it has not always been like that. Also have to add, I have never in my whole life smoked. These days I probably have to add: anything.

And I think that’s the secret to the low rates of cardiovascular diseases in France; called the French cheese paradox. Cirrhosis; that’s another story.

What the French drink..

Wine for the French is generally red wine. White is for aperitifs and with Chèvre.;-)

Disclaimer.
You are solely responsible for what you are eating and any consequences following thereof. A balanced diet and exercise is generally accepted as the best solution to staying healthy. This blog post is non-scientific, and only relies on some published theories quoted by the public press, a general assumption about French cardiovascular health and my personal experience. Following these ideas may not have any effect for you. Take responsibility for your own life, and don’t blame others, the government included.

Osteperler. The French Cheese Paradox

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Plastic fantastic!

Av OstePerler 13/04/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Ost

Plastic fantastic. USA er jo kjent for alt billig og kjipt, der selv Nille går langt utenpå. Til og med bilene er laget for kun å holde et par tre år før de kneler. Men så er de fleste bilprodusentene mer eller mindre konkurs og Detroit er en spøkelsesby som overgår de villeste fantasier.

Ost kan de

Men ost kan de lage! Selv om det er landet der det må settes på esken at denne pizzaen er laget med «genuine cheese». Verdens største osteprodusent er de også.

Slik er jo amerikanerne; det de går inn for går de inn for så ettertrykkelig. Som for eksempel å yste ost. Og da tar de hele prosessen på alvor; fra dyrevelferd til ferdig produkt. Vi har et litt ensidig negativt bilde av USA. Mye er til å klø seg i hode over, men mye er fantastisk flott. Og da tenker jeg ikke bare på ost.

Vermont

En stat som virkelig er på fremmarsj er Vermont. Wisconsin er den store ostestaten. California gikk foran i sin tid når det gjalt etablering av gårdsysterier, men er kanskje litt satt i forhold til stater som Oregon hvor det skjer mye spennende både på oste- og vinfronten og som nevnt Vermont. I hver sin ende av landet.

Det er jo en kjent sak at det er forbudt å selge upasteurisert ost i USA som er yngre enn 60 dager. Det betyr at det blir tilvirket en god del ost som er upasteurisert, spesielt i Vermont. Nå skal det innrømmes at det er den staten, ved siden av California jeg kjenner best til ostemessig. De står begge høyt på ønskelisten for besøk.

Jasper Hill Farm

Gleden var stor før helgen da jeg fikk høre at Fromagerie hadde tatt inn to oster fra Jasper Hill Farm i Vermont. Har tidligere bare smakt en ost som er modnet hos Jasper Hill, nemlig Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. Jasper Hill er et skikkelig foregangsysteri. Har til og med bygget tipp topp moderne modningskjeller der de inviterer andre ysterier i området inn for å modne ostene sine. I tillegg til nevnte Cabot modner Landaff og von Trapp sin oster hos Jasper Hill. New England er definitivt en reise verd.

Disse to ostene fra Jasper Hill er altså Bayley Hazen Blue og Harbison. Den første er upasteurisert og den siste pasteurisert. Begge kumelksoster. Melk fra lykkelige kyr. Intet mindre. Det var mine ord, basert på hva jeg leser om deres filosofi både når det gjelder å ta vare på dyrene så vel som jorden.

Bayley Hazen Blue har en kremete konsistens, fyldig, mild med et snev av nøtter og veldig avdempet pepper. Jeg hadde gleden av å være til stede på Fromagerie da de pakket ut og delte opp osten. Den hadde en veldig klar salmiakkduft, som var helt borte da osten var delt opp og vi hadde smakt på den. En av de beste blåmuggoster jeg har smakt.

Harbison har jeg ikke smakt ennå, det er en slags Mont d’Or type med bjerkespon rundt og «spoonable» som de sier selv. Det blir til helgen. Gleder meg. Har imidlertid hørt veldig mye fint om denne osten også, pasteurisert som den er til tross.

Remember, remember: Raw-Milk Cheese Appreciation Day

Litt morsomt var det også at i dag kom det mail fra Cowgirl Creamery i California om celebration of Raw-Milk Cheese Appreciation Day on April 18 der Bayley Hazen Blue var en av ostene som var anbefalt i dagens anledning. Så førstkommende lørdag er det Raw-Milk Cheese Appreciation Day; da vet du hva du har å gjøre.

Vel bekomme!

amerikansk ost, Jasper Hill, ost, osteperler

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