Cheese&You Arkiver

Chèvre frais

I was actually on the look out for some farmstead Norwegian cheese today, but the selection was rather poor. A single fresh chèvre caught my eye, though. Chèvre frais in French. Cornilly from the Berry province in the Loire.

Chèvre Frais

A chèvre frais is a very fresh cheese, so fresh there is no rind at all. And being it from goat or sheep’s milk it is chalk white as well. A chèvre is of course made from goat’s milk.

They are very special these fresh cheeses. Special in the sense that acidity is high. The taste has not so much more to offer but the fresh lactic acidity. Not much more to expect either from a cheese that has not been matured at all. So if you enjoy freshness and acidity, this is a cheese for you. If not, go for something a little more mature. A lot happens to a chèvre in the course of a few weeks.

From raw goat’s milk

From raw milk this one. A bit crumbly, but with a very creamy mouth feeling. Seems like there is a pasteurized version as well. It is an assumption since so many American web shops offer it to their customers. There is no way this cheese will be admitted into the US unpasteurized. It’s nothing near the 60 days. Not even ordinary chèvre comes near that limit.

To drink

Chèvre naturally calls for a Sancerre or some other Sauvignon blanc from the Loire. As this is a chèvre frais, I think I will move westvard along the Loire to Vouvray. The Chenin blanc grape gives more sweetness in the wine which will nicely balance the acidity of the cheese.

Banon

By OstePerler 14/06/2015 Leave a Comment Cheese

So you think you’ve been to Provence? Probably not. Most travelers to this region have only been to the Var or Alpes-Maritimes regions. The latter is where Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez are, to name a few hotspots. But Banon is in Provence. Provence is the back country to Var and the coast; Côte d’Azur. Up in the beautiful hills and mountainious landscape that you find a couple of hours’ drive inland from the coast.

Provence

Here we’re back to small farms, picturesque villages with steep narrow streets, bakery, butcher, and a local market for everything vegetables, cheese and other local stuff. Café where people meet for a glass of pastis and a game of boule in the shades of the old, huge trees. Far from the busy atmosphere along the coast.

From this area hails the Chèvre named Banon. Comes in both an industrial and farmstead variety and I find it natural to choose the latter. When I say hail, it is because the cheese can be traced back to Roman times which is quite a while.

Look for the special wrapping

Characteristically clothed in chestnut leaves and wrapped up with a wisp of natural raffia. Not of much practical use today, but more to make the cheese stand out from the crowd, I would believe.

Farmstead Banon

The Banon from Vanessa and François Masto in Simiane-la-Rotonde is of course made from raw milk as all Banon has to be, according to the AOP rules. This particular farm is also certified organic, and so is the cheese. It is not very strong in taste, but there are milder Chèvres. It might get somewhat opulent if it’s stored for a while, so I would say it is best enjoyed fresh.

It has a washed rind, using local Marc and is stored for a couple of weeks to mature. Texture is creamy, color of the paste is white. Woody and nutty taste with a gentle sign of goat in the background.