As with so much of European culture, monks of various orders and countries contributed massively to the creation and preservation of cheesemaking traditions during the dark and largely cheeseless ages. This narrative is especially present in the eastern region of France's Pyrenees Mountains, where the monks of the abbey of Notre-Dame de Belloc still produce today's offering; Abbaye de Bel'loc. This rich, dense cheese is still made exclusively from the milk of local Manech ewes, and the result of the Benedictine monks' careful tending is a full-flavor, 60% fat per solid mass, wickedly decadent knockout.
Origin: Urt, France
Milk: Sheep, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Those monks are a secretive lot, but given its firm texture it's in the 4-8 month range.
Notes: Fun Fact about the Manech ewes; they have characteristic red noses. Translation: Rudolph's secret family is making great cheese in the mountains of southern France.
Thoughts: The raw milk flavor, so easily an overpowering factor in any cheese, takes a relatively reserved role in this cheese, allowing a sweeter side of the sheep's milk to shine through. The flavor begins fairly unassumingly but steadily grows into a rich creamy sheep's milk delight. Salty and savory are the first to arrive, no doubt aided by the indulgently high fat content, but eventually these notes are replaced by a sweetness rarely found in sheep's milk products. The teasingly caramelly, almost dark tones work beautifully with the initial meatier tones to produce a complex and unique cheese. The natural rind is rustic and, for the adventurous cheese explorer, completely edible, though it does not do much except clash with the moist texture of the paste. Slice it, serve it (with some spiced quince preserve, perhaps), surrender to it.
Caution
Not all monk-made cheeses are created equal, many monks go around spilling beer and wine on their cheese. This isn't much of a warning, though, as those are delicious as well. Go wild.
Also, the Cheese Spreadsheet has been updated, Best Friday Ever!
Milk: Sheep, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Those monks are a secretive lot, but given its firm texture it's in the 4-8 month range.
Notes: Fun Fact about the Manech ewes; they have characteristic red noses. Translation: Rudolph's secret family is making great cheese in the mountains of southern France.
Thoughts: The raw milk flavor, so easily an overpowering factor in any cheese, takes a relatively reserved role in this cheese, allowing a sweeter side of the sheep's milk to shine through. The flavor begins fairly unassumingly but steadily grows into a rich creamy sheep's milk delight. Salty and savory are the first to arrive, no doubt aided by the indulgently high fat content, but eventually these notes are replaced by a sweetness rarely found in sheep's milk products. The teasingly caramelly, almost dark tones work beautifully with the initial meatier tones to produce a complex and unique cheese. The natural rind is rustic and, for the adventurous cheese explorer, completely edible, though it does not do much except clash with the moist texture of the paste. Slice it, serve it (with some spiced quince preserve, perhaps), surrender to it.
Caution
Not all monk-made cheeses are created equal, many monks go around spilling beer and wine on their cheese. This isn't much of a warning, though, as those are delicious as well. Go wild.
Also, the Cheese Spreadsheet has been updated, Best Friday Ever!
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